Tomodachi
by Nana
Summary: COMPLETE! How different can two friends be? He's the sukebe basketball captain, and she's a card carrying member of the NBSB No Boyfriend Since Birth Club. Can their fragile friendship possibly stand a chance against all odds? An AU SxM fic. Pls R&R!
1. Girl Friend

Tomodachi

by 

Nana

Chapter 1

Girl Friend

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Author's Notes: And here's the last of my new fics for a while. Have to start filling in the rest of my unfinished stories.^^  The formula in this fic is familiar enough (there are actually lots of fics out there with this basic theme, but the fun of it would be the myriad twists that can be incorporated): are best friends all Miroku and Sango can ever be? Can man and woman be friends without the usual thingies getting in the way? You decide! Full steam ahead or say bye-bye after the first chapter?

Disclaimer: No, Sango and Miroku do not belong to me, and no, the plot is not unique, but let's see how far we can take it! 

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            The silence of early morning was broken only by the steady beat of a ball on the cement floor of the public basketball court. For the last six years, it had been routine to catch a  particular boy shooting some early morning hoops in the park, and this morning was no different.

            He stood on the free throw line, dribbling, his eyes--a curious shade of blue-violet--never leaving the hoop.

            _"And he lets go…"_ he muttered from a corner of his mouth, doing exactly what he had announced.

            He watched as the ball flew in a graceful arc through the air, temporarily cutting off the sun from his line of vision. He winced as it struck a part of the metal hoop, did a flip back into the air, and--

            _WHIIIISSHHH!_ The net sounded as the ball fell through.

            He threw his fists up into the air, hearing the roar of an invisible audience.

            "_Yeees!_" He said, his eyes shut. "He scores! Two points--"

            "That's just one point, Mister Hotshot," said a voice behind him dryly. "You're on the free throw line."

            "That's two points, as it's a regular shot and not a free throw one," he said, not bothering to look at his companion. "You're late by the way."

            The girl, Hinomori Sango, let out a huff. "And since when have you been carrying a watch?" she asked caustically.

            "Never," he admitted, finally turning to her with a wry smile. "But I can tell from the length of the court's shadow that it's past 7 am."

            "Well, I did a few laps more than usual," she said, shrugging. "So you have two points with the ball. Big deal. My turn."

            "No way," he said, retrieving the ball and throwing it over to her. "Let's go back to zero. I insist. I wouldn't want any accusations from you at the end of the game that I took off at a head start, as usual."

            "Hah!" she said as she started dribbling. "You wish! Play with your hands, Terada Miroku, not your mouth."

            "If you say so," he said, grinning.

            He made an attempt to snatch the ball but Sango was too quick for him. She turned around, shielding the ball with the solid wall of her back as she continued dribbling.

            "Watch the hand," she growled as she felt him settle his right hand on her back while the other waited for the opportunity of an opening at Sango's side.

            "I'm not pushing," he said innocently, keeping the pressure of his palm light on her back.

            "Right. Not yet anyway. Push and you get your first foul. You lower that hand any farther and you're dead."

            Guarding Sango was never an easy thing to do. Aside from that sharp tongue, she was capable of maneuvers so surprising that it left even him, captain of the school basketball club, at a loss.

            It was a waste really, he thought as he kept his eyes on the ball, when she decided to call it quits from the girls' basketball club when they were mere freshmen. She could have been the captain now.

            An unguarded moment was all it took, and Sango had turned around on him and taken off, sprinting toward the court, doing a graceful lay up and Miroku knew the point was in the basket regardless of what he did.

            "Not concentrating," she said, shaking her head as she threw the ball to him. "Carry on like this and what will all your adoring kouhai say?"

            He smiled easily. "Would you really like me to cream you this early in the game?" he asked.

            "I'd like to see you try."

            "Okay."

            The early morning courtside banter had gone on as long as Miroku could remember being friends with Sango, but these brief sessions carried with them a wispy element of a dream. Disrupted promptly at 7:30 every morning, the session would end and they had to get ready for school.

            Here, in the secluded, sun-washed corner of the park, they were best friends. In school, they belonged to different worlds with no area of connection possible.

            Terada Miroku was captain of the school basketball club, and was especially known for his tendency to switch girlfriends at every possible opportunity. 

            On the other hand, Hinomori Sango was a card-carrying member of the NBSB (No Boyfriend Since Birth) Club, and very likely to stay that way due to her sharp mind and equally sharp tongue. A member of the Track Club, she nevertheless exuded such an intimidating air that no guy could ever stand her for long.

            In school, it would have been inconceivable to think of him being able to make friends with a girl, much less a girl like Sango.

            And yet, with all these differences, their worlds would intersect for one hour everyday, and all barriers would melt away as they chatted about anything and everything.

            Right now, as they proceeded with their basketball game of twenty-one points, Sango was finding a predicament of Miroku's very funny.

            "And what're you laughing at?" he asked as he put away a basket.

            Sango shook her head, but she couldn't stop laughing. "Imagine that!" she said at last, wheezing. "You--without a date for the coming prom! Has the world finally gone crazy or what?"

            "Hahaha," said Miroku. "Laugh all you want. The girls will come to their senses in due time. They usually do after a day or two."

            "After finding out you've been dating both of them at the same time?" said Sango. "I don't think so. Imagine a double stint with that little freshman Mizahara Koharu and that sophomore muse Mori Reiko. The whole drama that ensued in the school corridor two days ago should have taught you a lesson or two, but it seems you're already in the process of breaking a poor girl's heart all over again."

            Miroku sighed. "You're deliberately making me into a villain," he said with a halfhearted attempt at gravity. "They insisted on my company. What can I possibly do if the timing was a bit…erm…confusing?"

            "You could have picked one of the two," pointed out Sango.

            "I can't just leave the other one behind."

            "And now they've both left you behind."

            "Actually, I'm relieved. I was kind of wanting to ask somebody else out," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his shirt sleeve.

            "Ewww…!" Sango made a face. "Sukebe, aren't you?"

            Miroku looked at her. 

            "So who is this poor unlucky girl?" Sango asked, interested nonetheless.

            "Never mind," he said, sighing. 

            _Man! She's making this so damned difficult!_

            "Do I know her?"

            He shrugged. "Who knows?" he said, affecting a mysterious air as he turned away.

            "C'mon! Who is she?" She pressed on.

            "You'll find out in due time. Come on. We better split or we'll be late for school," he said.

            _Jeez, but girls are really difficult_, he thought as they separated at the intersection of the first street and he headed to the direction of his house. 

Especially the one he had just left behind.

What was that prom thing all about?

That, my friend, was his pathetic attempt to stir the conversation over to an avenue where he could manage to ask her out without sounding funny.

Wasn't it strange that he should come to this last resort? Imagine asking a girl like Hinomori out for the prom, no less.

But then, he had been tinkering with this vague idea of asking her out for a while now.

            It had not ended very well. She had come close to nipping the whole thing in the bud without even knowing what he was up to.

            That was Sango for you alright.

            He, on the other hand, had chickened out at the last minute. _Man…!_

            Close.

She came close, but Terada Miroku was not easily browbeaten by a few, contemptuous words from a good friend.

            _Ah well_, he thought. _Tomorrow then. There's always tomorrow…_

*********************************

            It was only during her walk toward school that Sango realized how tiring the basketball game had been for her.

            She sighed, feeling the weight around her feet dragging her down.

            From the unusual quiet of her mind, she could still hear his words ringing.

            "_Actually, I was kind of wanting to ask somebody else out…"_

_            Trust that sukebe to make up his mind that fast_, she thought sourly. _He's barely over the two nitwits from his last escapade, and now, he's--"_

            "OOF!"

            She had not been paying any attention to the road, and for a few, confusing seconds, found her face pressed to a firm, unyielding surface.

            A surface clothed in a black high school uniform.

            "Sumimasen," said a voice above her, and she found herself looking up. 

And up.

The face that smiled down at her was handsome, strangely distracting…and totally unfamiliar.

One look was all it took and Sango found that she could not tear her gaze away.

**********************************

Vocabulary:

Kouhai- underclassmen

Sukebe- pervert

Tomodachi- friends


	2. The Cause

Tomodachi

by 

Nana

Chapter 2

The Cause

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Author's Notes: Here's the second chapter! It contains spoilers for Episode 78 of the IY Anime. The character of Takeda Kuranosuke appeared in that episode as Sango's…umm, erm, heeheehee…^^ You'll get the drift when you read on.

            Sakurakan, the name of their high school in this fic, is the name of a doujinshi circle that does IY doujin. I can't think of any other name right now that will fit.^^

            Thanks very much for all your reviews, mina-san! I do hope you will read and review this chap!

Disclaimer: You guys know this by now!

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            For a moment Sango stood under the shadow of the newcomer, feeling as though her legs had turned to wood. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his face. Or his smile.

            "S-sumimasen," she said, mentally giving herself a shake as she finally recovered enough to take a step back.

            "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't see you. I'm supposed to be on my way to my new school, and I guess I took a wrong turn and ended up here."

            He had dark hair that turned a shade of light brown where the sun kissed it, as well as smiling brown eyes.

            "Which school are you attending?" Sango asked him.

            "Sakurakan High School," he said.

            Her eyes widening, Sango said, "that's my high school."

            "Really?" He asked, sounding surprised and delighted.

            "And you're not really lost. In fact, this is the way to a short cut," she said. "C'mon, I'll show you."

            "Thanks," he said as he fell into step beside her.

            It turned out his name was Takeda Kuranosuke and by the time they got to the front gates of the school, he had filled her with his basic info, as well as random stuff about his old school and why he had to move to a new one so late into the semester.

            "Anyway, Otousan had thought it best for my chances to get accepted into a university this way, so here I am," he said.

            Heads turned as they walked into the main building, and people--girls, mostly--stood agape at the sight of the new boy, but he seemed completely oblivious as he continued chatting with Sango.

            For her part, Sango was not aware that anything was amiss until her gaze landed on a girl who was staring at them as though she could not believe her eyes. Correction: a bunch of girls. 

Sango looked around uncomfortably and turned back to Takeda. She cleared her throat, saying, "well. It was great knowing you. You'll need to get you registration papers. The administration offices are straight on down the corridor."

            "Umm, wait," he called after her as she started to walk away, "I never got your name."

            Sango stared at him before it occurred to her that she had not even introduced herself to him.     "Hinomori Sango," she said simply. 

            "Hinomori-kun, " he said, bowing his head slightly. "Arigatou."

            Sango gave him a rare, polite smile.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around then." With that, Sango left for her classroom.

****************************

            "Oooh…Sango-chan, guess who I saw while I was out in the girls' bathroom a few minutes ago," said Higurashi Kagome as she sat herself on the chair in front of Sango. As usual, she made sure her voice was loud enough to carry across to the boy seated a few chairs behind Sango.

            Sango stiffened in her seat as she watched a grin slowly spreading across her friend's face.

            "Why, it's this really cute _guy _who's walking with Sango-chan," Kagome continued to sing.

            "Save it, Kagome-chan," advised Sango as she took out her Math notebook. "I don't think he heard."

            Behind them, the intended audience was, at that very moment, busy chatting with his girl fanclub, as usual.

            Kagome shot Terada Miroku a frustrated look and muttered under her breath, "drat."

            Higurashi Kagome was Sango's official best friend in high school, and an acknowledged matchmaker.  She had not known Miroku as long as Sango had, but that didn't stop her from thinking that the two basketball buddies were made for each other. Thus, while they were still freshmen, she had immediately started her aggressive campaign to bring them together. Although it had taken her two years and counting, she had not lost her energy in bringing her plan to fruition.

            Sango had passed the stage where Kagome's schemes had been the cause of a great deal of irritation, and was now resigned to the fact that her friend was apt to try a new trick if the opportunity presented itself.

            "You'd think that after all these years, he would at least skip his clueless act," sighed Kagome.

            "It's not an act, Kagome-chan," said Sango. Surely, that must be clear to Kagome by now.

            "It is," insisted Kagome. "I know it is. You just wait and see. Anyway, who _is_ he?"

            "Who?"

            "That new guy who was walking with you in the corridor," Kagome said. "I tried to call you but he kept on talking, so I guess you didn't hear me."

            "Well, some guy named Takeda Kuranosuke," said Sango, shrugging. "It's his first day here, and he thought he got lost along the way to school, so I offered to show him the shortcut."

            "And…?"

            "And what?"

            "Well, what's he like?"

            "I really don't know. Talkative, I guess," Sango said.

            "He's really cute," said Kagome with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

            "Yeah, well, I suppose he is," said Sango after she gave it a bit of thought.  She opened her Math notes and began to go through the answers to their assignment.

            Kagome suppressed a sigh. It was bad enough that Miroku-kun was clueless, but Sango-chan was not helpful to the Cause either.

            A break. All she needed was a break and these two would surely be in for it. In the meantime, she had to wait some more.

            _But I have to do something fast_, Kagome thought as she took her seat beside Sango. _The prom's almost here, and nothing's happened yet._

            When their sensei walked in, though, it were as if Fate had finally smiled upon Kagome's cause.

            "Before we start with lessons, I would like to take this opportunity to announce that we have a new member in our class," he said. "Please come in, Takeda-kun."

            And there he was, tall, dignified, walking in with a confident stride. Sango realized that she was staring at the newcomer with her mouth opened slightly in disbelief, and she quickly looked away.

            "Everyone, this is Takeda Kuranosuke…" the teacher's voice droned on, and Sango shifted her gaze to Kagome. She frowned at the wide, wide grin of delight plastered onto Kagome's face.

            Takeda was staring out at the awed faces in front of him when a familiar face among the crowd caught and held his attention. He smiled at Sango's direction.

            "You can take a seat at the back, Takeda-kun," said the teacher when the introductions were over.

            Takeda moved over to take a seat near Sango.

            "Wow," he said as he leaned over to greet Sango. "Is this a stroke of luck or what? Imagine us bumping into each other like this again."

            Sango could not find a word to say to that, so she gave him a weak smile.

            "Of course, you know it's not luck," whispered Kagome from the other side as they prepared to start with lessons.

            "What is this then?" Sango asked.

            "It's a sign," said Kagome.

*********************************

            From his seat, Terada Miroku watched as the new guy continued to chat with Sango as recess time drew on.

            There had been something weird about the whole thing.

            When the bell sounded to herald the start of the morning break, a flock of girls had instantly swooped down upon the newcomer, but he had goodnaturedly brushed them off and, standing up, made his way to Sango's side, where he had remained glued ever since.

            Miroku had to admit he was surprised. That kind of thing had never happened before.

Perhaps the poor guy was new and so he didn't know what was coming. Approaching Hinomori Sango and taking her by surprise with an ambush like that was not wise. Anytime now, she would surely put him in his place.

            The minutes dragged on, and Miroku found himself getting more and more surprised. Whatever was happening to Sango's razor tongue?

            He watched, eyes wide, as Takeda laughed at a remark Sango just made.

            _Is this for real???_ His mind quipped as it recovered.

            "Pretty cute, aren't they?" said a voice beside him.

            Miroku jumped as Kagome seated herself on a chair by his side. "Oh. It's you, Kagome-chan," he said, trying to sound casual.

            "And to think they've only met for a few minutes on the way to school this morning," said Kagome.

            Miroku stared at her. "Nani?' he asked.

            "I can tell this is going somewhere. You know, Sango's never been that friendly with a guy," observed Kagome, pretending not to hear him.

            "She's never really been the type to get too close to anyone," conceded Miroku.

            Kagome shot him a calculating look. "No," she finally said. "I suppose you would know. But look at how Tekada-kun is carrying himself."

            Miroku stared at him, unable to keep a slight frown from his brow.

            "I think Takeda-kun is really cool, doing what he's doing right now," Kagome said lightly.

            "And what exactly is that?" Miroku asked a bit sharply.

            "Making friends with Sango, of course," said Kagome innocently. "After all, very few people would _dare_ let the whole school know they're friends with somebody like Hinomori Sango."

            Miroku turned and stared at Kagome tersely. Kagome stared back at him with wide, innocent eyes.

            "Where are we going with this conversation?" he asked politely. "It just so happens that we--both of us--are Sango's friends, and the whole school knows it."

            "My, my. So we are," said Kagome pensively.

            _Just what exactly is she up to now?_ He thought suspiciously.

            He was used to her occasional suggestive comments and baiting tactics. After all, she had been doing it for two years, and he had been able to shrug her off with a mere smile. No words were needed to parry Kagome's egging. All he had to do was carry on like this and she would get tired in due time.

            "Well, in that case, since we--both of us--are Sango's friends, the least we can do is feel glad she's made another one, ne?" said Kagome brightly.

            Miroku stared at her as she got up to go, but his attention was instantly diverted as the sound of laughter--a rare sweet sound--came from Sango.

            He stared at her back incredulously.

            "See? Like I said: this is definitely going somewhere," said Kagome in a satisfied tone.

            Much to his chagrin, Miroku was finding it hard to take in.

            Since when did Sango ever laugh with a total stranger?

            "That's impossible," he found himself telling Kagome. "That would totally be unlike Sango."

            "Well, you'll never know what a girl is capable of, especially when her moment has come," said Kagome.

            "I get the feeling you're trying to tell me something here," said Miroku dryly.

            "Right! Don't you think you have to get going here?" Kagome said. "You're in denial right now, but you'll have to move quickly or else you're going to lose her!"

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	3. Too Late

Tomodachi

by 

Nana

Chapter 3

Too Late

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Author's Notes: Here's the third chapter.^^ In this fic, I have decided to make Miroku and Kagome's relationship a little bit OOC. In the manga/anime, they have always treated each other with a great deal of respect, but since they are classmates here, I have taken the liberty to make Miroku a wee bit more sarcastic. Hope you guys don't mind. 

Disclaimer: You guys know this already!

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            Miroku recoiled slightly from Kagome's outburst, an expression of blank surprise on his face.

            A few heads turned curiously at their direction, but Kagome did not even so much as change her ferocious expression or look away from Miroku.

            "What was that all about?" He managed when he recovered.

            He stole a look at Sango, relieved (and a little disappointed?) to see that she had not noticed Kagome's little tirade just then.

            "Didn't you say you were thinking of asking her out to the prom?" Kagome said loudly.

            Miroku suppressed a sigh. Letting Kagome in on that plan had been a mistake. Then again, it had all started with Kagome--rather, it had all started as a way of getting rid of Kagome.

            She had done very little else during the past few days except to bug him on it. Ever since he got dumped by his two simultaneous girlfriends, Kagome had jumped in and started campaigning for Sango.

            Over the years, Miroku had endured her cajoling and occasional taunts as good-naturedly as possible, but he realized she wasn't going to let go until he finally agreed to give this prom thing with Sango a shot. And so he had shaken off Kagome by giving his word that he was going to ask her out.

            What he never really admitted to anyone was the fact that the more he turned the idea over in his head, the more appealing it seemed to become. The problem now was how to ask Sango without getting burned…

            And now here was Kagome, getting all panicky over a guy talking to Sango.

            _Well, jeez!_ Thought Miroku. Hadn't she hung out with Sango long enough to realize the guy was going to be toast sooner or later?

            "Well?" cried Kagome imperiously, dragging him out of his thoughts and back into the immediate present. "Have you?"

            "No," he said calmly. He did not offer a word of explanation.

            "Well, you'd better hurry up then," said Kagome, throwing a look over her shoulder at Takeda. " I don't like the look of this. He's way too cute, way too tall, and way too nice."

            "Gee, thanks," said Miroku sarcastically.

            "I mean seriously! Look at him! Look at Sango!" Kagome said, pointing.

            Indeed, Sango seemed to be enjoying the guy's company. Miroku had never seen her look so animated. Recess was nearly over and she had not done anything to drive him away. Miroku had to admit that was most unusual.

            Amidst the varying noise level of the class, the sound of Sango's laughing voice drifted by. And try as he might, Miroku could not stop his brows from gathering into a faint frown.

            Just then, and quite mercifully, the bell sounded to herald the end of recess.

            "Well, now you know what you're up against," Kagome told Miroku before she made her way back to her seat. "Gambatte kudasai."

***********************************

            Terada Miroku was a patient person, but all things had to have a limit somewhere along the way. Right now, his patience was being sorely tested by the hour-long English period.

            After English came a grueling session of Japanese History, and he still could not find a way to talk to Sango.

            Japanese History gave way to lunch break, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

_Finally!_

Oh hey, wait a minute, where was she going??

Sango was standing up, walking out of the classroom. This time, without anyone giving him a nudge, Miroku followed her.

From her seat, Kagome watched as he took off, and sighed.

It took him a while to get on the case, but he's finally getting there, Kagome thought as she took a bite out of her lunch.

*************************************

            "Hey!" Somebody sounded from behind her, and for an instant, Sango froze.

            _He's really talkative, isn't he?_ She thought, feeling a warm, self-conscious blush beginning to creep on her cheeks. _First it was recess and now this!_

When she turned, though, she found that it was Miroku. For a moment, she blinked, quite surprised. How she could have mistaken Terada Miroku for Takeda Kuranosuke was, for the moment, beyond her.

            "Hey there," she returned.

            "I've been meaning to talk to you the whole day," he said. "Only, I never got the chance during recess."

            At those words, Sango turned to look at him. He was staring straight ahead, not meeting her sharp gaze, a small enigmatic smile on his lips. 

            "Really?" Sango asked him. "This promises to be interesting. What is it?"

            Miroku bit his lip. _Okay, here it goes…_

"Remember what I said this morning during basketball practice? About asking this one other girl out for the prom?" He said.

            Sango slanted him a look. Did he come all the way here just to tell her that? Couldn't she even go to the girls' bathroom in peace?

            She wasn't really sure if she wanted to hear it just now, but…oh well. Might as well get it over with.

            "Whoever can the poor creature be?" She asked, affecting an air of innocent interest.

            Miroku refused to be derailed.

            _Oh no, you don't. Not this time. You're going to hear this one out--_

Before he could even begin, though, Miroku fell under heavy attack. His assailants came from three different sides, and there was absolutely no way he could dodge them.

"Terada-senpai!" A chorus of voices landed on his ears as a couple of girls swooped down on the stunned basketball captain.

            A couple of feet away, Sango stared on with arched eyebrows.

            "Wow, even now, I still have to hazard a guess from these three, huh?" She asked. "Or perhaps you were thinking of asking all three of them at once?"

            "Its--it's not what you think!" Miroku tried to explain, but Sango had seen and heard enough.

            "Whatever. Once you make up your mind you can always tell me tomorrow," she said indifferently. Turning away, she resumed her interrupted walk.

***********************************

            "What happened?" Kagome asked when Miroku was finally able to make his way back to their classroom.

            "I got attacked!" He wheezed.

            Sango had gotten back much earlier, but that was not what had Kagome worried.

            "She came back with Takeda in tow, did you know that?" she hissed to Miroku.

            "What the hell was he doing out?" Miroku wanted to know.

            "Why does anyone ever go out during lunch breaks?" snapped Kagome.

            "Relax. I'm sure nothing happened. He couldn't have done anything in that short period," said Miroku.

            "I wouldn't be that confident, if I were you," warned Kagome.

***********************************

            Miroku finally caught up with Sango that afternoon when they were on the way to their club activities.

            "This is turning into a habit," observed Sango dryly as Miroku drew level with her. "What is it now?"

            "The prom," he said, but he was no longer smiling.

            "What is it with you and this prom thing?" Sango said, turning to him.

            "Look, Sango. No more beating around the bush. Would you like to go to the prom with me?" he asked bluntly.

            _"What?!"_

"I mean it," he said seriously.

            "Why?" Sango managed.

            "I--I've thought it over," he said, bulldozing his way through in an effort to get the whole thing over and done with. "I mean, we've been friends for six years and yet we never did get to do anything together except for those early morning shootouts. I'm sure you're at least curious about all this dating stuff, so how about it?"  

She stood there for a good minute, and Miroku was starting to think she had been shocked out of her habitual sharpness when she said, "Why would I want to go with you?" 

            Miroku blinked. "What…do you mean _why_?" he said.

            "I mean why are you asking me?" Sango seemed genuinely confused…and suspicious.

            "Because…! Look, I know you don't have a date…and it just so happened I don't have one, too, so I thought--"

            Sango held up a hand. "I'm going," she said.

            Miroku relaxed visibly. "Great! So--"

            "I didn't say I'm going with you though," she continued. "I'm going with somebody else."

            For a moment, words failed Miroku as he took this in. "Okay," he said slowly, beginning to smile. "You're kidding me, right?"

            Sango continued to stare at him tersely.

            _This is not happening,_ thought Miroku, dazed. 

            "I mean, who--?"

            Miroku stopped as it hit him.

            "That new guy…"

            "Yes, that new guy," agreed Sango.

            "Why?"

            "Because he asked me, that's why," said Sango, beginning to get irritated.

            "I'm asking you now," he pressed in.

            "You're too late!" she snapped.

            "He was here for just a day!" Miroku pointed out. "I can't believe you'd give in to somebody whom you just met for a day versus somebody whom you've known for six years!"

            "Look, how was I supposed to know you were going to ask?" she said, exasperated. "In all these six years we've known each other, you never did. Not even once!"

            Miroku paused from whatever he it was he was going to say, and stared at Sango. 

            "Is that what this is all about?" he asked slowly.

            She let out an exasperated sigh.

            "You may find this hard to believe, but the answer is no," Sango said. "You were just late, that's all. Besides, why would you want to go with me when you've got your whole harem to choose from?"

            With that, she turned and went her way.

***********************************

            _That stupid idiot…_Sango thought as she made her way to the practice field.

            How many times during the whole day had she called him that in her thoughts?

            In fact, she had been thinking along that vein earlier in the day when Takeda Kuranosuke had asked her to the prom.

            She had just left Miroku behind to his mooning fans in the corridor, and she had dodged into the girls' comfort room.

            _Miroku, that baka…!_ She thought as she washed her hands in the basin.

            She couldn't imagine he would go out of his way to tell her something that he could always tell her some other time. 

Normally, they didn't speak much within school walls. He was always beset with people following him around--friends from basketball, a horde of admirers. Usually, a brief smile and a rare wink were all she ever got when they met.

Sango sighed as she stared at the mirror before her, feeling her mind straying just a bit. 

There was a time when they had not been like this, when they had talked and kidded the same way they did every morning in the park

_Don't even think about it…_she thought as she resolutely turned away from the mirror and left the bathroom.

Sango started when she came out of the bathroom to find this guy looking at the nearby bulletin board. She had earlier mistaken Takeda for Miroku, and now, for just a moment, she thought the person standing there was Miroku, but it was not.

She should have known he wouldn't have been able to tear away from his admirers that fast to come after her. It just wasn't in him to do that.

The person who stood a few feet away was Takeda Kuranosuke, and he was looking at the poster of the coming prom.

He seemed just as surprised to find her standing there, but then he recovered and smiled, pointing at the poster.

"Seems like I came at a rather late time," he said. "This is slated for next week already."

"It's been the talk of the whole school lately," Sango allowed.

"Are you going?" he asked.

"Who, me?" Sango asked, then laughed. "I think not."

"Why not?"

Sango became uncomfortable, but before she could say anything, Takeda said, "I was kind of imagining a score of guys dying to take you out."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Obviously you don't know me well enough," she said softly.

Takeda stared at her. "Would you like to go with me then?" He asked.

Sango crossed her arms, feeling it was time she whacked this guy back to earth.

"And do you always use this line with all the girls you've met for the first time?" she asked archly.

"Well, no," he said, his voice open and honest. "Just with you."

Sango stared at him, her heart suddenly going like she had just run the track field.

"I--I know this is too sudden," continued Takeda, "and I'm sure you think I'm being too fast. Only, I really enjoy talking with you. I think it would be really great to know you better. No strings attached, I promise! Is that…is that all right?"

"You're being too fast," was all Sango could think to say, repeating his words.

"I know," he said. "But for all it's worth, would you like to think it over? I can wait…"

*********************************

            _I can wait…_

Sango came out of the school building to find the sun streaming down on the quiet, tree-lined path to the practice field.

And there he was, already waiting.

She had not been prepared for Miroku's proposition, and in the end, she had come to resent him for the reasons that he had given for wanting to take her out to the prom.

He was doing it for old times' sake (or something like that), and in comparison to the reasons of the boy standing before her now, there was no contest really.

"Sango," Takeda said in greeting.

And she gave him a sunny smile. "I've decided," she said.

*********************************


	4. The Things She'll Never Say

Tomodachi

by 

Nana

Chapter 4

The Things She'll Never Say

***********************************

Author's Notes: The plot thickens! This chapter is written mostly in Sango's POV. Should she go with Miroku to the prom or not? Heeheehee…I really haven't decided yet. We shall see, ne?^^

Special Thanks: Very special thanks go to Neko-chan, who first posted the song below at sangomiroku ML. It is indeed the perfect song for Sango's thoughts on Miroku, and definitely deserves a special place in this chapter! Thanks so much, Neko-chan!

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Not a single character (except for Minami-chan, but who wants to own her??)^^

************************************

I'm tugging at my hair  
I'm pulling at my clothes  
I'm trying to keep my cool  
I know it shows  
I'm staring at my feet  
My cheeks are turning red  
I'm searching for the words inside my head

(Cause) I'm feeling nervous  
Trying to be so perfect  
Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it  
Yeah

If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I wanna blow you... away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say

It don't do me any good  
It's just a waste of time  
What use is it to you  
What's on my mind  
It ain't coming out  
We're not going anywhere  
So why can't I just tell you that I care

What's wrong with my tongue  
These words keep slipping away  
I stutter, I stumble   
Like I've got nothing to say

Yes I'm wishing my life away with these things I'll never say  
If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I wanna blow you...away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say  
These things I'll never say

**_The Things I'll Never Say_**

**_--Avril Lavigne_**__

************************************

            7:23 am.

Sango knew that she would not be able to catch him if she were to spend more time sitting here on a park bench. The basketball courts were a mere two hundred meters away, and surely he would be packing up by now.

She had done her best not to come to the park this morning to avoid any run-in, but her wayward mind, honed from six years of habit, had flatly refused to comply with reason. 

Once in the park, she had tried with all her might to put off the inevitable by doing her morning run around the perimetry of the grounds, but she found her legs carrying her deeper and deeper into the park, to the direction of the basketball courts.

This park bench was her last post before she totally lost her resolve, and now here she was, sitting and whiling away the time, wishing he would just hurry up and go away. It was the only way she could save her from herself.

_Perhaps it is better this way…_

After all, the last word had been said yesterday. Although she had done a good job concealing it, the way he had proposed to her had irritated her immeasurably. Then and there, she had made up her mind.

So what was she doing here, sitting on a park bench and playing patience with her troubled mind?

_Because,_ she thought dryly, _if I don't clamp down hard on it, I'm going to find myself running over _**there**_ to him in record time…_

She stared down fiercely at her legs, willing them not to move.

And what was she going to do when she got there? What was she going to tell him? There was nothing else left to say, and she knew it.

_Only…_

Only what?

She had left him standing in the school corridor without waiting for him to say a word, and she had spent the greater part of last night anxiously mulling over it.

What would he say? What would he think?

Not, she thought with a firm shake of her head, that it mattered to her, but still…

Six years was a long time, but since when had Terada Miroku been a habitual tenant in her thoughts?

_He's far too regularly inside your head for you to start denying it to me now, my dear, so you might as well not try…_a treacherous part of her brain hooted before she could start making her usual excuses to herself.

Sango let out an unhappy sigh.

Staring at the peaceful, green surroundings before her, at the dappled pattern of sunlight and the shadows of trees at her feet, Sango briefly wondered how it would have been if, six years ago, she had not come for basketball practice that fateful day when they had first met and subsequently, had not gotten to know him. He would have just been another regular (and popular) classmate in school, and they would have no reason whatsoever to talk to each other at all.

But it did not happen this way. Instead, twelve year old Hinomori Sango had gotten up at her usual hour that particular morning and, without a slightest clue that the day was going to be a crucial turning point in her life, had started for the park for her daily basketball shootout.

Sango had been a big fan of basketball ever since she could remember. The courts were usually empty during the early morning hours, which meant she did not have to worry about older guys bullying her out of her practice space.

She had settled down so much to a routine that she had even picked a favorite among the basketball courts. She had chosen a relatively secluded one where the shadows of trees would at least screen out the harsh morning sun.

When she got there, though, she had been surprised and more than a little miffed to find that somebody had beaten her to her favorite court. Hearing the sound of a ball beating against the concrete had been warning enough.

Finally, after she was able to catch a glimpse of the culprit from the bushes, she had been relieved to find that it was a boy no older than she was. 

This was easy. He looked just about her age, which meant she could just chase him off and be done with it.

He had not been aware of her as she advanced, and had started when she called.

"Hey."

She could tell she had startled him, but not enough for him to lose the point he had thrown into the basket just then.

Sango watched as the ball sliced clean through the net, and turned back to face him.

"Nice shot," she said as way of starting her argument.

"Thanks," he said, and grinned.

Sango stared at his smiling face, and found that she had almost forgotten what she had intended to say to him. She quickly got back on track.

"Are you new here? This is the first time I've ever seen you around," she said.

"Well, yes. My family just moved in a few days ago," he said as he made for the ball and began dribbling again.

Sango frowned. "Right. I can tell you're new. Otherwise, you'd have seen me here everyday," she said.

"Really? You like basketball that much?" He asked, turning back to her with an interested look.

"I do. I also like this basketball court a lot," she said bluntly.

He continued to look at her. It was clear that he had understood her intensions.

What came out of his mouth the next minute was entirely unexpected, though.

"Do you?" he asked, a small smirk starting at the corner of his mouth.

"Hai."

"Then you know what you have to do, don't you?" he asked.

"And what is that?"

"Fight me for it."

_"Excuse me?"_

"You heard me," he said, tossing the ball over to her. "A game of twenty-one. If I lose I go. If you lose…"

"If I lose…?" Sango had her brows up by this time. The nerve of this guy! How dared he even suggest she could lose to him??

"I haven't decided yet," he said easily. "So how about it?"

"Fine," she said. 

She had lost by two points.

Remembering that particular episode now, Sango could still feel the rush of humiliation at finally being beaten at a game of twenty-one. By a guy no less!

She could remember the way the warmth had rushed to her cheeks--a first time occurrence.

The boy did not stop then. He fetched the ball and said, "best of three. Come on!"

And the game went on.

In the end, it did not matter who had won that day, the fact remained that they had continued playing twenty-one against each other ever since. And Sango had forgotten all about her intentions to drive him away.

Until now…

But he was still there in the courtyard. She was the one who was driving herself away from her own court.

Sango stood up, aware that this was just a flimsy excuse that she needed to concoct in order to justify to herself that she needed to see him, but it was good enough.

************************************

            He was staying longer than usual. He was still there when she crossed the foliage and finally got to the court.

            This time though, there was no greeting. There was nothing but chilly silence when he turned his head and saw her standing half a court away. The ball he had let go struck the iron ring of the hoop and bounced away unnoticed.

            What had she intended to say? She was going about the whole thing haphazardly, without a concrete plan. She guessed that even if she did have one, it would not have done any good. Right now, words failed her. She stood there, staring back at his serious expression nervously. Firmly resisting the urge to grasp and twist her shirt with her hands, she kept them at her sides.

            "I--I thought you've gone," she said when the silence threatened to stretch on forever.

            "I thought you weren't coming," he said.

            "I had other things to do," she said.

            _And other things to think about…_she added silently.

            "Honto?" he said.

            He was standing there with the sun shining down on his head, looking so grave, and Sango felt her heart twist.

            How could he possibly do this to her every single time they met?

            _Say something, dammit…_

"About yesterday…"

There. She had done the impossible. She had opened a topic she swore she was not going to discuss.

"What about it?" He continued politely.

Sango looked away, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. He did not look the least bit interested, and she was damned if she was going to have to explain herself to him.

"Nothing," she muttered. "It's late. I'll see you in school."

She turned to go.

"Sango."

_Kami…what is he going to say?_ Sango turned a fraction, not quite meeting his eyes.

"You were mad at me yesterday, weren't you?"

Silence.

"Was that the reason why you turned me down? Because you were just mad?"

Sango's head snapped up, aware of anger brushing aside all rational thought. Here she was, anxiously waiting for him to say something--anything--and this was all he had to say??

"No, I wasn't _just_ mad!" she gritted through clenched teeth. "I already told you why I'm going with Takeda, and I am not telling you that again!"

"Then what are you doing here?"

_Right. What was she doing here?_

Kami, please don't ask me that…

Without warning, it came out.

"All right. I admit. I was mad yesterday. I'm sick of you treating me like I'm some charity case you're obliged to look after. And Takeda--Takeda never felt he had to use that kind of reason to ask me out. You're so--so in on yourself you feel like things have to revolve around you all the time! I mean, if you're looking for that kind of attention, why don't you just ask one of your girlfriends to take you back?"

Sango gasped and fell silent, aware that she had crossed the line.

"That thing with girlfriends again," he said, eyeing her thoughtfully. "I have a feeling you're not telling me something."

She turned rigid, feeling the color rise to her face.

"That thing with Minami-chan when we were in first year--"

Sango paled as she heard the name. She had not heard it in a long time. She did not want to hear it now.

"We are not having this conversation," she snapped, trying desperately to keep the panic from showing in her voice. "I'm going."

Without another word, she turned and fled.

And all the time she was running away, she could think of only two things…

_How could he have known? How could he have made the connection?_

*******************************

            And where did Minami-chan fit in? 

See, it was like this…

Shino Minami had followed Terada Miroku around for the best part of their last year in junior high, and Miroku had finally given in when they were in first year senior high school.

            Sango had viewed the girl with amused compassion, wondering what the poor creature could ever want so badly in a guy like Terada to cling so. Already, he was earning himself quite a reputation as a school basketball player. Ever since more and more girls were turning their heads his way, he was fast turning into a flirt as well.

            And so Sango had supposed that the girl had thought his image wildly romantic.

            What she had not been prepared for was the announcement Minami had made to her that they were actually a couple now.

            The tone she had used had not only carried satisfaction, it was laced with warning.

            _Back off._

Wasn't that the fate of every girl who had a guy for her best friend? Would it not, ultimately, lead to some misunderstanding when he finally had a girlfriend?

            Even as she tried to explain to Minami that she meant no harm, Sango had been aware of a strange, twisting pain lancing through her heart, followed by numbness. It only occurred to her later that she did not need to explain anything to Minami, and she never did again.

            It was so strange that they had to grow up sooner or later.

            Was it not natural that they had no choice but to drift apart as they got older? Sango was aware that the day would come eventually; it was just that she had not expected it to come so soon. She felt like she had been left behind.

            Miroku had merely shrugged and laughed when she chided him for not telling her.

            "Well, yeah. I suppose we are," was all he said when she asked if they were now, indeed, a couple.

            They had lasted exactly a month. In the end, Miroku had gotten tired with Minami's constant, tearful refrain about his still being friends with the other girl. He had given up, and Minami had moved on.

            Before she did though, she had to put up a memorable scene in the school hallway.

            "If you really like her that much, then why don't you just make her your girlfriend?" she had said as she burst into tears and ran away from a stunned Miroku.

            Sango had never been more unnerved or embarrassed in her whole life, but she had also felt pity for the girl.

            By then, she had learned a few valuable lessons as well. She had realized that the only way she could spare her heart from being constantly bruised was to keep certain things to herself.

            The things that she would never say were, indeed, best left unsaid. After all, how would Terada Miroku handle it if he were to know that by the time they had turned sixteen, he had become the whole world to her?

**********************************

Vocabulary:

Honto?- Really?


	5. The Great Revelation

**Tomodachi**

by 

Nana

Chapter 5

**The Great Revelation**

***************************************

**Author's Notes: **I have decided to make this an I/K as well--just a short, uncomplicated snippet on Inu Yasha and Kagome.^^ Hehehe…just one week (and a few more chaps to go!) before the prom!

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Nah. Huh-uh. Not mine.

***************************************

            His day was not turning out very well, and just once, he wished Kagome would leave him alone.

            She had been outside their classroom waiting for him when he arrived, and the first thing she said was, "what happened?! What is this talk going around that Sango's going with Takeda to the prom?!"

            Miroku winced upon hearing the sharp edge of despair in Kagome's voice. He closed his eyes briefly and counted until ten.

            When he spoke, his voice sounded all right. "Kagome-chan, I'd rather not talk about it just now," he said.

            Kagome stared at him, dazed. "So it is true," she said faintly.

            Burying her face in her hands, she wailed, "I don't understand! How did this happen?! Two years of hard work, down the drain just like that! You must've done something to tick her off!"

            Miroku fought the urge to grit his teeth. "I already asked her out and she refused. What more can you possibly ask for?" he said in a resigned voice.

            "Well, _how _did you ask her?"

            He fell silent at those words. Knowing Kagome, she probably meant if he had asked Sango the _right_ way. Was there really such a thing? He wondered.

            At any rate, he had asked, and she had refused. That was supposed to be the end, wasn't it?

But it was not. He knew without anyone telling him that it was not the end.  Far from it.

Now he had another issue to address. Perhaps the real mystery behind everything was: why was he so angry now?

            It was all so surprising because it was the truth, plain and simple.

            He had never been so angry, so confused in his entire life. And did it only have to do with the fact that this was the first time he got turned down in his life, or was there something else behind it?

Back in the park, he had considered giving in and running after Sango when she had turned away from him, but reason and pride had kicked in just in time. What good would it do if he had managed to run her down?

            "How did you ask her?" Kagome's voice brought him back to the present.

            He turned away from her abruptly.

            "Miroku! What did you tell her exactly?" Kagome caught up with him, effectively blocking his path.

            He looked away. Finally he muttered, "I told her since she had never really been out on a date, she might want to go with me and see for herself what it's all like."

            "Are you _CRAZY?!"_ screamed Kagome. "You said that? You really said _that_? Have you lost your _mind_?"

            "What was I supposed to say?" he snapped.

            "You could have said something--anything! Tell her you've been meaning to ask her out for a long time because you like her! Anything would have been better than that--that thing you told her! At the rate you were going you might as well have told her that you felt sorry for her! What's wrong with you?!"

            Miroku stared at Kagome, stunned.

            _Charity case…_

Hadn't Sango said that? Hadn't she said she was tired of being treated like a charity case?

            Miroku had not understood her at the time. Now, though, it was apparent from Kagome's instant grasp of the situation that once again, he had failed to comprehend the labyrinthine complexities of girls' minds.

            _Since when have girls started a language of their own?_ He thought, irritated. How could they possibly misunderstand guys to this extent? He had not meant it the way they thought he did!

            He had meant…

            Well…

            "Why can't you just say it out loud?" Kagome continued.

            "Say what?" he said.

            "That you like her," she answered. "You _do_ like her, don't you?"

            He sighed wearily. "It doesn't matter, does it? I mean, she's already chosen somebody else. If that's going to make her happy, then…"

            He trailed off.

            Kagome stared at him sadly.  "Go ahead and make all the excuses you can think of," she said. "You know it's not going to help any."

********************************

            Something happened that afternoon to indicate that Kagome was not in her right mind.

Sango could hardly believe it. 

            Inu Yasha--Miroku's teammate, the hot-headed deputy captain of the basketball club--had finally mustered enough bravado to saunter into their classroom during recess and pester Kagome about the prom. 

Everybody knew it was going to take Inu Yasha some time to convince Kagome. Although everybody knew that the two really liked each other, they still felt the need to put up a show every time they met by putting up a spectacular fight. And from the look of things, people could tell he was as nervous as hell because he had charged right in and completely forgot he had an audience in his haste to get the matter over and done with.

            Inu Yasha had been prepared for anything--fire, ice, a torrent of scalding laughter, the usual, blazing shouting match, anything--but Kagome had not felt like doing any of the usual things when he began his wooing with: "Feh. Before you get the wrong idea about this, let me just tell you I haven't forgotten about all those times we've been at each other's throats--"

            He then launched into a long and quite incomprehensible monologue to justify the action he was about to undertake, and ended his proposal with a flourish by saying gruffly, "Well? How about it?"

            And all the time, Kagome had merely stared at him dully.

            "What are you trying to _say?"_ she finally said.

            "What am I--?! I'm asking you if you'd like to go to the prom with me, woman!" Inu Yasha finally yelled, embarrassed.

            "Oh. Okay. You can pick me up at my place at seven," Kagome said and turned away.

            The shocked silence of the class was broken only when somebody finally sniggered.

            "And what're you laughing _at?"_ Inu Yasha snapped as he desperately tried to save face.

            "Are you alright?" Sango asked Kagome, suppressing a laugh when Inu Yasha finally stalked out of the classroom, still dazed. "I thought you said you've got a plan to roast him alive and make him beg till the last minute!"

            "Sango-chan…is it true you're really going out to the prom with Takeda?" Kagome asked softly.

            The unexpected question caught Sango off guard.

            "Well…there's nothing wrong with that, is there?" she asked without heat.

            Sango finally let out a sigh when Kagome did not say anything. "Look here, Kagome-chan," she said. "I know you've been campaigning since first year to get us together, but it's about time you realize that it's not going to happen."

            "Sango-chan, do you like Miroku?"

            Sango let out a laugh, half in exasperation, half in amusement. "Who cares?" she said.

            Kagome looked up hopefully, but Sango was ahead of her. "I didn't mean anything by that, so don't go quoting me on the wrong things," she added quickly. "Come on. Let's just drop the whole thing, okay? Tomorrow's Saturday. I've got to go somewhere in the morning, but would you like to help me pick out a dress for the prom after lunch?"

            "If in exchange you drop Takeda for Miroku," said Kagome recklessly as she made one last attempt. At least people wouldn't say she didn't try her best.

            Sango's smile was wry. "Get real."

**********************************

On Saturday morning, Miroku walked up to the Hinomori residence with his excuse tucked under his arm and rang the doorbell.

It was still a bit early--ten past nine--so Sango would probably still be home.

Of course, Kagome had tipped him about catching her early. She was still hoping a long earnest talk would clear the air between the two. There was still a week for Sango to change her mind.

Miroku had earlier decided not drop by, thinking he was going to see Sango at the park anyway. They could have their talk there without his having to pay her a visit at home.

But 7:30 had come and gone, and Sango had not showed up at all. It was totally unlike her to miss a basketball session, no matter how pissed she was at him in the past. He had waited until 8:30, until he was hopelessly sure she wasn't coming around. It was only then that he felt a nameless panic seizing him, dragging him over to her house in record time.

The doorbell sounded. She was going to answer the door any minute now.

_Right. Stick to your excuse. It's a good one. You've used it dozens of times before…afterwards, you can casually ask her why she didn't show up this morning. Or better yet, wait for her to spill the beans herself…no need for you to even show an iota of interest…_

With this in mind, Miroku had every reason to believe that he had all the corners covered, but what happened next was totally beyond his control.

As he had expected, she was the one who answered the door, but what he was not prepared for was the vision that met him when the door opened.

            Her hair was down, tied with a wisp of white ribbon to make a low ponytail. In all their six years of friendship, he had never seen her with her hair down on purpose.

It probably may have taken only a brief nanosecond, but to Miroku, it felt like a lifetime as he stood there, frozen. When he recovered sufficiently to cast his eyes elsewhere about her, he realized that the state of his best friend's hair was only the beginning of a set of shocking revelations.

            She was also wearing a dress.

            _(Dress! Imagine that! Sango in a dress!!! _His mind screamed at him incredulously._)_

It was pale pink and short, falling just above her knees, leaving her long, coltish legs bare. He had seen her legs, of course he had! Hundreds of times! She was, after all a Track athlete. But never like this! His eyes fell down and refused to leave the dainty sandals on her feet.

            He did not know what was more startling: the hair, the pink dress, the legs, sandals--all of the above? His mind reeled from such heavy visual assault.

            Sango, for her part, had not been expecting him as well. She had opened the door with a smile playing on her lips, and the sight of him standing there with his jaw dropping open was enough to make her gasp and close the door on his face in pure reflex.

            Miroku recovered quickly. His hand shot out just in time and he got hold of the edge of the door before the latch could click shut, and he edged himself inside as Sango continued to stand there as though she had been turned to stone.

            "W-what are you doing here?" she finally managed.

            He lifted a sardonic brow. "Weren't expecting me, were you?" He asked.

            "Isn't that obvious?" she snapped.

            He held up a computer diskette and a bunch of papers. "My printer ran out of ink in the middle of printing our English book report to be submitted Monday. Can I use yours? Of course I can!"

            With that, and before she could recover from this second wave of attack, he launched himself past the Hinomori living room and up the stairs to her bedroom.

            _Please, please don't make me meet Mr. or Mrs. Hinomori…_he thought as he bounded up the stairs, to the room where he had spent many idle afternoons hanging out with Sango.

            "Hey!" She shrieked as she followed him. "You can't--_HEY!"_

            "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She thundered as she charged into her bedroom. He was already seated at her table and nonchalantly turning on her computer. "You can't be serious! I'm going out in a couple of minutes so you can't sta--" 

            "Since when did you enjoy going out on weekends?" he said, running a casual, insolent eye once more on her attire.

            With that one cursory flick of his attention, Sango suddenly felt very bare and had an overwhelming impulse to put up her hands to cover herself. She squelched the thought.

            _Since I met someone who's not a complete jerk…!_ She had wanted to say, but she stopped herself.

            "What are you talking about?" she asked defensively. "I do enjoy going out every once in a while."

            "Hot date?"

            Sango could feel the color rushing to her face, but she refused to look away.

            "What's so wrong with that?" she snapped.

            He turned to face her, his brows raised. "There's nothing wrong with that, as you very well know," he said. "I'm just surprised. My life's an open book for my best buddy, and yet she never breathed a word to me about this whole date thing of hers."

            "Why would you want to know about this?" she said. "You put up a great show of being totally unconcerned about the events surrounding my life yesterday."

            "Do I dare hazard a guess who's coming by within a few minutes?" he asked next with a hint of a sneer, pretending not to hear her.

            "Take a wild guess," she gritted through clenched teeth.

            "So where are you guys going?"

            "I don't believe this!" she said, turning away from him. "Why are you doing this? What is it to you anyway?"

            But Miroku already had his back to her, his attention on the paper making its way out of her busy printer.

            _Jerk,_ she thought fuming as she shot him a look.

            Before she could say anything though, the doorbell rang downstairs.

            _Great. Just great…_Sango thought, feeling the blood chill inside her when she thought of what might happen if the two guys ever met.

            "You know your way out when you're through," she said shortly and went for the stairs. "And don't you dare follow me down just now."

            Miroku sat there, aware of a horrible, sinking feeling in his chest, as though his heart had suddenly plummeted to the floor. He stared at his hands as they gradually balled into fists on her study table.

            _Don't even think about it…_

            His mind whispered those words distinctly. He knew for a fact that an undignified scene was totally out of the question, but perhaps he had known all along he was going to be helpless against the urgent whims stirring deep inside him. All of a sudden he decided that his chore was done, and he got up and tore the paper from the printer before it even finished on the page. 

            He took the stairs two at a time, and turning the corner of the living room he could see them just outside the door, preparing to leave.

            Sango froze as Miroku brushed past her on the way out, her eyes widening even as the color drained from her face.

            "I'm finished," he said pleasantly, making sure he had full eye contact with a stunned Takeda for a second or so. He turned back to Sango and continued, "thanks for the printer. Enjoy yourself."

            Without another glance back, he stalked past them and walked away.

            He paused when he had rounded the corner of the street, and waited four, five minutes to make sure they were on their way before he made his next move.

            _What the hell is wrong with you? _He groaned inwardly.

            He knew what was wrong, and furthermore, he knew exactly when the great revelation dawned on him. From the moment he was face-to-face with that guy Takeda, he was suddenly certain of one thing.

            He understood now that he was not going to give Sango up to anybody.

******************************


	6. Just Desserts

**Tomodachi **

Chapter 6

by 

Nana

**Just Desserts**

**********************************

**Author's Notes: **Gomen for this late update! I realize it has been a while since the last one, but I cannot break away from my schedule. Things are going to get even more hectic this week, but hopefully the updates will be quite regular after November 16.^^ In the meantime, on with the show!

**Disclaimer: **Yes, yes. I own nobody here.

**********************************

            As she walked beside a silent Takeda, Sango felt that, for the first time in a long while, she was dangerously close to tears.

            She had never been so humiliated…so angry…!

            _That..that baka! _She thought furiously. _How dare he--!_

            "Sango," began Takeda softly.

            "Hai?" she asked, forcing herself to smile as she turned to him.

            _Kami…here it comes._ Before their date could even begin, he was going to call it quits already. She just knew it. All thanks to that bloody idiot…

            "Don't look now, but I think we've got a tail…"

            "Huh?" Sango asked, involuntarily looking over her shoulder. Takeda stopped her just in time.

            "Trust me, he's following us," he said with a slightly amused smile.

            "What?!" Sango could feel her heart turn cold and drop alarmingly to the pit of her stomach. 

            "Takeda-kun," she began quickly as she turned to back to him, "about what happened earlier on, I just want you to know--"

            "I think I understand," he cut in. "After all, what guy in his right mind wouldn't want to--"

            "No, no!" said Sango. "That's precisely the point that I want to clarify with you! That guy--I've known him since we were twelve. In fact, we're friends. Believe me, he doesn't see me as a girl--"

            At the look of surprise on Takeda's face, Sango found herself stumbling over her words. "I mean," she hastened to clarify, "he doesn't see me as the type he'd go out with, so there's really no point in making him an issue here, okay?"

            "You mean, you're just friends?"

"Hai."

A short silence ensued, and Takeda found his curiosity getting the better of him. "He's never asked you out?" He ventured to ask. He sounded as though he could not believe it.

            "Well, no."

            "Not even once??"

            "You don't have to keep asking," snapped Sango, irritated.

            "Gomenasai. I just thought…well…" He shrugged. 

            "Better believe it."

            Takeda looked at her oddly for a moment or two before he said simply, "I understand."

            Of course, he would like to argue that Sango's explanation could not quite cover why her "friend" was following them now, but the tone she used made clear that no further discussion was welcome.

            But then, Takeda felt he needed no further explanation. Guy things were kind of hard to put down in words anyway. Suffice it to say that the guy in question was acting strangely enough for another guy not to notice.  

            In a way, even though Sango's explanation did not seem to mesh perfectly with Terada's actions, Takeda took comfort in the fact that she was disturbed enough at the thought that he might take things the wrong way that she had offered an explanation. Perhaps there might be something that could be salvaged from this situation after all.

            Like it or not, Takeda had a feeling he really did understand the drive that was spurring the other one on; while a part of him could find it in himself to feel sorry for the poor guy, another part of him could not help but feel a wild urge to stir things up.

            He smiled as he said, "His loss, then."

            Sango stiffened as she felt him casually slip an arm around her shoulders.

            "What are you doing?" she asked as she fought not to raise her voice in a squeak of protest.

            "I can tell he's caused you a great deal of aggravation," he observed.

            "Hardly," said Sango coldly. "What made you think so?"

            Takeda smiled and shrugged. "Wild guess, maybe. So why don't you throw some of his own medicine back his way?" he suggested. 

            "What are you saying?!"

            "How about it, Sango? Six years is a long, drawn-out meal, don't you think? Some just desserts are in order," he said.

******************************

            Back a block away, things were not going well for Miroku.

_What the hell does he think he's doing??_ He thought as outrage choked at his throat.

            Takeda had barely known Sango for two, three days and he was already slinging an arm around her?? The utter nerve!

            Even worse, how could Sango stand for any of this? _How could she??_

            She always made a big show of feeling repulsed whenever he grew touchy in school (and to think he was not even touching her during all those times), so where, pray tell, was all that righteous indignation right now??

            Now what?

            _What the hell…? _He thought as an even stranger sight greeted him.

            She was laughing?? Laughing with this guy whom she barely knew?! He couldn't believe it! The only way he could ever get her to laugh at him these days was when he poked fun at himself!

            Dimly, he knew that something was up, but he couldn't seem to be able to make sense of it, not when his mind was in a total muddle.

            Get a grip! A part of his mind snapped, irritated. 

            What was he doing here, following Sango around like this? He had a strange feeling that he was being whipped, but he could not for the life of him stop. Had he finally lost his mind?

            He just didn't get it. In all their six years of being friends, Sango had made a big deal about being impervious to guys' charms. Hadn't she perfected the hell-freezeth-over stare technique that could rob any guy of his speech when he's in front of her? They had laughed over it from time to time.

            So what was she doing getting all soft and feminine with this guy???

            Unless…

            His breath caught and died in his throat as something hit him.

            _Unless…she likes him?_

            But…but how could she?

            _How could she not?_ A little voice inside his brain whispered. _Just look at him… he's tall, he's not exactly without features…and he had his full attention on her.._.

            And he just made her laugh. Again.

            Miroku felt his legs slowing to a stop as he digested this. He had never seen it like this before. 

But he…

            A slow, dreadful ache blossomed and spread in his chest as the thought completed itself: _But he wanted her for himself..._

The realization was belated, stupid, and true. He wanted her…wanted things to be the same just as it had always been for the last six years, wanted her to smile only for him, see only him. He wanted to continue seeing her every day without the fear of losing her to another.

            And so he couldn't stop now…

            With that, Miroku resolutely shook his head as he continued to follow them.

*******************************

            Takeda took her to a restaurant near the department store for an early lunch.

            _Well, hell…what now?_ Miroku thought as he paused and waited for them to enter.

            He had been in this restaurant before. This was where he had taken some of his dates to before. And he knew there was one more entrance into it aside from the front door…

********************************

            He was able to creep in unnoticed from the back.

            They were over by a table, partially shielded from his view with an artfully arranged set of potted fern plants.

            _All right, buddy…let's see what you've got_, he thought grimly as he made for the table beside the ferns as quietly as he could.

            For a while, Takeda did all the talking about his old school and his old friends, and then the topic shifted when Miroku heard him lower his voice and murmur, "…I have a feeling, though, that things are going to be just fine here."

            It took a great deal of effort on Miroku's part not to snort out loud.

            He heard Sango laugh nervously.

            "So," she said. "Let's order."

            Miroku frowned a little as the waitress came over and took their orders. She didn't seem at ease now. What was going on?

            From his position, all he could see was a bit of her dress as she remained seated behind him. He resisted the urge to get up and take a peek. 

            "So what about you? Any special friends you might have?" he heard Takeda say.

            "Well, there's Kagome…she's a really great friend. She's the one I'm meeting later, and then there's the other one, but you know all that now."

            Miroku's froze as she said this. _What the hell? They've been talking about me??_

            "Oh, yeah. The basketball captain," Takeda said, his voice neutrally polite.

            "Yes. The basketball captain. But, you know…you already know the story behind it all, so…" 

            For a brief second, Miroku felt as though he had lost the ability to breathe.

            _What is she talking about? What story?_

Curiosity overcame caution, and he leaned in to listen closely.

"Pity," Takeda's voice came in firm and strong. "Like I said: his loss. Anyway--"

Miroku's hand abruptly clenched on the tablecloth before him. _One more word. One more smug word from this guy and he's history…_

But Sango was far from done on the subject of her best friend. 

            "He's…he's not really like that--I mean, the way you saw him earlier on," she began. "Come to think of it, that was the first time I ever saw him lose his marbles like that."

            "Jealous, perhaps?" came Takeda's soft question.

            Miroku let out a silent sigh of exasperated disbelief; then Sango's voice came.

            "No. I don't think so," she said, her tone quite definite.

            "What makes you so sure?"

            "Because he's incapable of it, in my case," she said. "As I have said, he doesn't see me as a girl. More as a convenient ball player he can shoot hoops with sometime."

            "I see. Why do you suppose he did what he did earlier on?"

            "No special reason, I guess. Maybe he just couldn't believe it when I told him I was going out with you. I mean--" Sango's voice carried a tone of laughter. Then she grew serious. "I mean, I never said anything whenever he was taking one of his girls out. The fact that he would dare do something like that now, and to me…"

            "He's made you unhappy…"

            "Well, yeah."

            As Miroku sat there, feeling a film of ice wrap around his still heart, he heard Takeda press in.

            "Well," Miroku heard him say on the other side. "I've got just the thing, I think. Tell me if this would work."

            "What?"

            "How about going out with me?"

            "We're going out now," Sango's laughing voice drifted by.

            "I mean, on a more permanent basis."

            This was it. This was the last straw. It was either he stormed the table on the other side or he had to leave. Now. Before he embarrassed Sango further by making a fool of himself.

            Takeda heard a chair scraping behind them, and knew without looking that Sango's friend was leaving. All the while, Sango had not known that Miroku had followed them in, and he had not bothered to tell her.

            Sango's voice brought him back from his thoughts. "What's brought this on?" she breathed, her eyes suddenly wary and unsure.

            "I know this is fast, Sango--" he began.

            "Yes. It is," Sango cut in, fixing him with a firm look. "Look, Takeda-kun. I think you're really nice, but right now, I think we'd better stick to the prom first and we'll see about what happens next later."

            Realizing he had pushed her one step too far, Takeda suddenly withdrew. "All right," he said as he gave her a gracious smile. "There would be lots of time to get to know one another better now."

********************************

            Miroku had left the restaurant numb and his thoughts reeling, and so he had not heard Kagome calling him until he had reached the end of the street.

            "What are you doing here?" She panted as she caught up. "I saw you leave that restaurant and--"

            "I'm going home," he said shortly.

            "What were you doing in there? How did your talk with Sango go?"

            "We never got the chance. That morning engagement of hers before your afternoon meeting--she went out for lunch with Takeda," he said. "She's still inside that restaurant with him."

            _"N-n-NANIIII?"_ Kagome whirled around and made as if she was going to storm into the restaurant. Miroku stopped her just in time.

            "Just let her be," he said. "I think she's finally found someone who's going to make her happy."

            "What are you talking about? Have you gone crazy?!"

            Miroku shut his eyes, feeling the gradual stirrings of a headache. "Look, I've made her unhappy. She said so herself," he argued. 

            "You were eavesdropping?!"

            "I heard her say it," said Miroku quietly.

            "She'll get over it," said Kagome fiercely. "She'd been doing that for six years!"

            It was the wrong thing to say and she knew it. Kagome gasped and fell silent as she realized what she had just said and how it had meant to the person standing before her.

            A small, sad smile crossed Miroku's lips unexpectedly. "Is that so?" he replied softly.

            "I didn't mean it that way," Kagome cried. "It's just that, it's such a waste--"

            Miroku shook his head. "He asked her to go steady with him," he said gravely.

            A short, shocked silence ensued.

            "What did she say?" Kagome breathed, her lips hardly moving.

            He shook his head. "No idea," he said. "I didn't stay long enough to find out. And now, I must be going…"

            As he left her behind, he heard Kagome call out one last time, her voice filled with bitter hurt, "don't you--_can't_ you care to know just a little??"

            What was it about the differences between the thinking processes of men and women, Miroku thought as a ragged sigh escaped him, that they were destined to misunderstand each other?

            He had left Kagome thinking he couldn't possibly care less what happened to Sango and Takeda, when all he wanted to do was to get away from it all.

            How hard was it for girls to understand that guys had hearts too, and while he did not wear his on his sleeve, how could they not see that his was simply too bruised to be handled at the moment?

*************************************


	7. Beyond Reason

**Tomodachi **

Chapter 7

by 

Nana

**Beyond Reason**

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**Author's Notes: **Sigh.Here comes Nana with another one of her flights of fancy. And all this right before two big exams on Dec 12 and 13! Huhuhu…

Anyway, I will have to ask for your patience in this chapter. It might be a bit OOC for some readers, as MiroSan would surely never be presented with a situation such as this (and even if they were, I'm sure they would react differently--Takahashi-style, in fact). Still, we can hope, can't we?^^ 

**Disclaimer: **You guys know all this!

*******************************

Sango was late.

By the time she got to the coffee shop where they were supposed to meet, Kagome was already there waiting.

"Kagome-chan!" She called, smiling.

"Hey," Kagome returned listlessly as Sango approached.

"Gomen. I couldn't get away from lunch soon enough. Have you been waiting long?" Sango asked as she sat opposite Kagome.

At the woeful look on Kagome's face, Sango stopped. "What?" she wanted to know.

"Nothing," said Kagome as she looked down at her cup.

"That is not nothing. Really, what is it?"

"Sango-chan, who did you go to lunch with?" Kagome asked softly.

Sango stared.

"Oh. O-kayy…" she said slowly. "I think I'm getting it now. Well, as a matter of fact, Takeda-kun asked me out for lunch. How about that?"

They sat there in silence for a while, the spirit of anticipation to an afternoon of carefree shopping slowly deflating.

"What is so wrong with that?" Sango finally said, irritated.

"Sango-chan…you're mad at me, aren't you?"

"Mad? Me? I'm not mad," Sango said, her tone betraying otherwise. After a moment, she slumped back on her seat. 

"Okay. Well, maybe a little ticked off," she admitted softly. "Honestly, how long are you going to press for something that's not going to happen?"

"But you and Miroku are so--"

"See? There lies the problem," pointed out Sango. "There is no 'us', Kagome-chan. There never was, there never will be. Just--"

Sango suddenly stopped when she noted Kagome turning her face away.

_N-nani--?_ Surely…surely, Kagome couldn't be crying over this now…could she?

There was an awkward moment of silence as Sango stared at her folded hands on the table. 

_I am not going to feel guilty. I'm not! _She thought.

"You know what?" she said suddenly, searching frantically for anything to say. "I never told you this before. As early as first year, I was sure we were going to be good friends."

Kagome turned back to her. "How did you know?"

Sango looked at her, smiling. "Do you remember Miroku going after you for a while?"

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, well--" she said uneasily.

"He was holding your hand in the classroom, asking you to go out with him, and do you remember what you told him?"

Kagome stared at Sango.

"You said, 'what are you doing, asking me out? You should be going out with Sango'," Sango finished. "That was how I was sure we were going to be great friends. Until you came along, I couldn't make friends with any girl because that part had to get in the way…"

Kagome looked at her hopefully.

_"But--"_ Sango said as she moved in with her point, "that's not going to happen. And right now, I feel as though I can finally get away from that crazy loop. Please give Takeda-kun a chance, okay? He's really very nice, and--"

Kagome suddenly looked crestfallen. "Are you giving him a chance then?" 

Sango paused. "Well…" She said uncertainly.

"He asked you to go steady with him, didn't he?"

"How did y--" Sango stopped as something hit her.

"Miroku…" she said at last.

Kagome nodded, not quite looking at her friend. "I bumped into him when he got out of the restaurant."

Sango continued to stare. "He…was in there…?" She sounded faint.

"He heard everything," Kagome said.

For a moment, Sango could not say anything.

Finally, she sighed and looked away uncomfortably. "Well, whoever told him to follow, that idiot," she muttered. "Besides, everything I've said was quite true, anyway."

"What did you say about him, Sango-chan?"

Sango shook her head. "Nothing that he doesn't already know," she said curtly.

"He went away because he says he's made you unhappy," Kagome continued. "I mean, how could he, if you maintain there's nothing going on between the two of you?"

"You don't have to have a relationship with somebody to make her unhappy," replied Sango flatly.

_Like now, for instance_…she thought glumly. Right now, she couldn't quite figure out why the realization that Miroku had heard everything she had said about him was making her unhappy.

"Do you know what he did this morning, Kagome-chan?" Sango continued. "I'll tell you what he did. He popped up at my place and refused to go away. And when Takeda-kun came around, he had to make a grand exit by going right through us at the doorway. Why do you suppose he did that?"

"Why indeed?" Kagome returned. "What do you think, Sango?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" asked Sango. "He's setting out to embarrass the life out of me because he just can't believe somebody's finally asking me out. Maybe he just came to laugh. I don't kno--"

"Maybe he's jealous," said Kagome. "Haven't you thought of that?"

"Oh no!" exclaimed Sango. "Not you too!"

"What other reason is there? I mean, have you ever wondered why he followed you all the way to that restaurant?"

"He can't be jealous. There's no way he could be," said Sango. "Not in that sense, anyway!"

"Have you ever given him a chance to say so?"

"He doesn't have to say it! Six years of being friends with him is enough to tell you things!" Sango said. "He's never seen me as anything, so why should he start now?"

"You never gave him a chance to tell you, then."

"Tell me what?" asked Sango bitterly. "That he's not interested in me? I don't need to hear him say it. I know it already!"

Sango stopped, aware that she was sounding weird. That wasn't what she had intended to say at all! At the rate she was going, it was almost as though she were agreeing with Kagome that something was indeed going on between her and Miroku.

"I see," Kagome said sadly.

"See what?" Sango asked in a tired voice.

"You never knew how much he likes you, because you've never admitted to yourself how much you like him, don't you?"

_"What?!"_ asked Sango, exasperated.

"Talk to him, Sango-chan. At least ask him why he followed you around today," urged Kagome. "That was so totally unlike him. Don't you think it merits some inquiry?"

"And if I do that," said Sango, moving quickly to end the matter before she gave too much of herself away, "will you let the matter drop so we can go ahead with our shopping?"

"Okay," said Kagome and smiled for the first time that afternoon.

***************************

            Of course, she had fully intended to ignore Kagome's request. It was completely out of the question. There was no way she was going to ask that creep anything, especially when he owed her an apology for embarrassing her like that.

            So why was this happening? 

Why was it that Sunday morning came and found her in the park, making her way over to the basketball courts--again?

            _I don't understand…! _Sango wailed at herself. _Why am I doing this?? Have I finally turned into a masochist or something?!_

            Even as she mentally berated herself, there was no stopping the force that was hauling her over to make a possible mistake. A possible _huge_ mistake. It was beyond all reason, and there was nothing she could do about it.

            True, she was disgusted at herself beyond measure. True, she was ashamed to admit it, but the fact remained that the small exchange she had had with Kagome the day before had moved something within her.

            What do I want this badly? She groaned inwardly.

            _I just want to make sure…_

            Kami! Make sure of what? Her mind screamed at her impatiently. Didn't you tell Kagome you were sure? What was all that talk about those six years knocking some sense into you?!

            After all these years, after she had successfully schooled herself to indifference, could it be that a little hope had flared inside her?

            _Hope for what?_ Something in her mind sneered. _Honestly, are you really hoping that sukebe would finally see you the way you want him to? But how do you want him to see you, anyway?_

            She had used to laugh at girls who did this. It was quite unpleasant to realize that she, too, would be capable of stooping this low. Perhaps what was most mortifying was the fact that this need was overriding even the most basic reflex of all--the reflex at self-protection.

            But now time was running out. 

She could already hear a ball dribbling. In another second, she would see him. Soon she would be right in front of him, and there would be no more time to back away from a decision that had all the elements of an impending disaster.

******************************

            She saw him turn and freeze for a moment when he finally caught sight of her.

            It was then that she realized what she had wanted to believe in Kagome's words. Despite her knowing better, she had wanted to believe Kagome when she said there may be something in this guy that she had refused to acknowledge to herself.

            While she was not exactly proud of what she was about to do, while she was frightened at what it might trigger, she wanted--needed--to know what he thought of her. 

            She might get disappointed, but perhaps that might just snap her out of her six-year trance and make her get on with her life.

            She wanted to make sure.

            The momentary trace of surprise on his face smoothly gave way an expression of blank politeness as she approached.

            "Fancy seeing you here," he said.

            "Why did you do what you did yesterday?" Sango asked him without preamble.

            "What did I do?"

            Sango frowned, feeling a familiar wave of fury sweep in. "You know what you did yesterday," she snapped. "That sudden visit to my house, your following us to the restaurant--don't you _dare_ deny it!--I mean, why are you doing this?"

            _Why are you acting as though you care?_

Miroku said nothing. He merely stood there, his expression unreadable as he looked down at her.

            "You think this is so funny, don't you? The tomboy finally gets a bit of attention from a guy. Wow! That's so unbelievable, isn't it? Well, jeez! Just because it took you six years to get it doesn't mean nobody else had!"

            Sango turned away. _Well, six years did pass by, but it certainly didn't mean he had gotten it…_

In the meantime, though, Miroku had made up his mind not answer her at all. Unnerved, Sango found that the only thing she could do was to continue. 

A mistake.

"You're being unfair. I mean, I never said anything when you went out with your girls. I never once said a word to anything that you did! Why can't you extend me the same courtesy now?" Sango demanded. 

            Miroku looked away.

            When he finally did reply, his answer took her completely by surprise. "All those times, with those other girls, couldn't you have said something? Anything at all?" He asked.

            "What?!"

            Miroku smiled a little, his eyes pained when he turned his head back. "You don't get it, do you?" he said softly. "What would it take for me to make you see?"

            _Kami. What is he doing? _Sango thought, her eyes widening as she took an involuntary step back. She was not permitted to take another.

One small step was all it took on his part, and he was suddenly towering over her, as close to her as he had ever been.

            _Stop me now, Sango…run away before I lose control completely…_Even though his eyes said so, he could not stop his advance.

            It was going to be a mistake--a huge one; he might end up hurting her even more, but he could not stop himself. He did not know how to make her understand, but it was suddenly important that he make her comprehend. It was now or never.

            But how would he make her understand? This was beyond words, beyond reason. The problem now was, would he--could he bring himself to show her? 

            Could he or couldn't he?

            Either way, he would end up losing her, so it would not make a difference now, would it? At least now…now she would know. No beating around the bush, no more delay, no more excuses to take refuge in. Too many episodes of misunderstanding had risen over a matter that was quite simple in essence, really.

            He did not give himself any more time to think.

            He reached out and brought a hand behind her nape. When she did not move away, he lowered his head and finally took her lips with his.

*******************************

**Elven Child:** I'm glad you like Tomodachi and the way its theme centers on the differences between a boy's and a girl's points-of-view pertaining to love. They can really wreak such misunderstanding in a relationship. Love is never really easy (cliché, cliché), but then, it gives us the perfect excuse to go crazy every once in a while.^^ We'll just have to make sure we pick somebody who's going to be worth all the trouble (as well as all the sweetness), ne?

**Kaerra**: Heeheehee…I made Takeda Kuranosuke pretty devious, didn't I? I have a feeling his character might be, given that he's the type who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to say so. Too bad Miroku never gave him an opportunity to show it in the anime. That would be pretty interesting, wouldn't it? ^_______^

**Neko-chan: **Yes, I have to agree I am being mean to our poor Houshi-sama, but it's soooooo right! Heeheehee! At least Sango gets to pay him back a little here.^^ 

Thanks for all your reviews, mina-chan, and I am hoping to hear more from you all soon.


	8. Half and Half

**Tomodachi **

Chapter 8

by 

Nana

**Half and Half**

********************************

**Author's Notes: **Hee! This fic is nearing its end! Here's the second to the last chapter! Thanks very much, minna-san, for all your support and encouragement. I hope to hear from you all in the review section!^^

**Disclaimer:** Yes, I don't own anybody here! Certain lines toward the end are taken from the song, "Touch Me When We're Dancing" by the Carpenters. 

**Spoilers:** Big chunks of anime episode 78 and manga chapter 292 present in the fic! Manga chapter 292 has been very influential in flipping the whole MiroSan romance angle around--I can only hope that I have written it in well here.

I realize I've made Takeda Kuranosuke a bit evil in the previous chapter. Here's to him having…another possible side to his character.^^

*******************************

            _Stop me now, Sango…please…_

Even as a part of him whispered it, there was no stopping this kiss. There was no stopping this error.

            Dimly, he heard her sharp intake of breath before he pressed his lips to hers, and then there was nothing but the realization of a craving so potent, so sweet--a hunger that could not be denied. 

            This was Sango, then. This was how she felt like. He would never again have to wonder about how it would be to taste her lips, feel the texture of her skin, her hair. He would never again have to wonder about how it would feel to have her so close to him. So close he could not tell his heartbeat from hers.

            Even if he could think clearly, he would have realized he was powerless to draw back. But then, he was not thinking clearly. He did not want to. A dizzying, intoxicating spell was upon him, clouding his senses and making everything else fade away.

            Right now, the only important thing that mattered was the girl before him. Perhaps this had always been, always will be the case.

            Who was he kidding? He had wanted her for a long time. Too long, it seemed.

            They had been sidestepping around each other for as long as he could remember, and for what?

            In one step, in one breath, he had torn down the invisible divide that had held them apart for six years. In one motion, he had brought to light this one thing that had always been there between them.

            Why had it taken them this long? How had they been able to stall the inevitable for six long years? 

            The thing that he did--it had not been difficult at all. He had somehow thought it would be, but it wasn't. It was only a matter of taking her into his arms and…

            _Because this is wrong…_

            He groaned inwardly, trying to drown that sudden, treacherous voice in his head. _How can something that feels so right be wrong?_ He wanted to shout at it.

            It was too late.

            Reason was already coming back with a rush, turning desire into ashes in its wake. The mad rush in his veins subsided as suddenly as it had begun, leaving a numb, heavy feeling inside: a certainty that this time, he had done something irreparable.

            _This is wrong because she's your friend…_the thought finished itself even as Miroku suddenly pulled back from the kiss.

            She was a friend.

            Not a girlfriend then. And not just any girl. Not somebody whom he could fool around with and discard at his whim. Not somebody whom one could decide not to see anymore just because one got bored.

Sango was actually somebody whose company he knew he would never get tired of. She was somebody he could trust and confide in--somebody to laugh with. She was too precious to lose to fleeting passion. What would an eighteen-year old guy know about it anyway? Afterwards, when the flame had died down, what would happen? Would she go the same way the other girls had gone?

_She does not deserve to go through any of this…_

            Sango gasped as the kiss abruptly ended. She stood there, dazed and swaying. She could have fallen if it had not been for his arm, still wrapped around her waist.

            She gazed at the pair of violet eyes mere inches away from hers, her mind a total blank. Briefly, she wondered why he was looking so pained.

            "Sango," he said, his voice hoarse. "I--I'm sorry…"

            It was the apology that struck her like a slap on the face. Abruptly, her mind cleared as outrage sank in.

            "You're sorry?" she hissed. "_What do you mean you're sorry_?"

            What did she mean by that? She wasn't sure either. 

He had every right to be sorry, hadn't he? Sorry for confusing her into coming here with a question, sorry for insulting her--treating her as though she were nothing more than one of those stupid girls who hung onto his every move; sorry for making her see he was incapable of keeping his hands off any girl, even someone whom he had been friends with for six years; sorry he had to reinforce Takeda-kun's argument and prove himself to be a complete asshole. 

Any one of these would have been sufficient as a reason for her anger, but perhaps the crowning outrage was the fact that he would dare say he was sorry for kissing her.

"Sango, I didn't mean it," he continued.

"Of course you didn't!" she shouted. "How could you possibly ever mean it?!"

"Just calm down--"

That was the last straw.

The cracking sound of her hand suddenly connecting to the side of his face was loud in the morning silence.

"Don't you dare tell me that," she said, speaking after a moment's silence.

She let her stinging hand fall. "I came here today thinking I could ask you something, but it seems I've got the answer already."

"Sango…"

She shook her head, her gaze steady as she took him in. "Imagine--I finally got my answer from you after six long years," she said. She tried to smile. "It's quite a relief, actually."

            _So this is it then…_

"See you around, Miroku." With that, she turned away.

He did not try to stop her.

_It's so odd…_she thought as she held up the hand she had used to slap him with. 

How odd it was, that her palm could be as red as the handprint on his face. How odd it was, to feel the same pain one inflicts on another. As friends, they could not escape it--this strange empathy that they share. Give and take--the distinction had always been blurred at best.

She wondered briefly if it would die down as soon as the ties that bound them were cut.

*****************************

_It's all over…_

Kagome could not even think to cry as Miroku's words sank in little by little. That afternoon found them seated in a corner of a café as Miroku gave her a colorless account of what happened.

"Why did you do it?" Kagome asked finally.

"Do what?"

"Apologize for the kiss, of course!"  
            "What do you mean I--?" He gritted, totally confused. "Are you telling me that;s not the right thing to do?"

_Well, hell…what do girls want, anyway?! You think they'll be happy if you apologize for a stolen kiss…!_

"The problem with you is you're too vague!" cried Kagome. "That's why Sango is forever wavering. Even after you've kissed her, you never gave her any chance because you never made it clear to her that you want her! After everything that's happened, what can you possibly still want to hide?"

Miroku shook his head as he cast around for something to say.

"It's not that easy," he found himself telling her. "Liking someone is easy enough, but to make her want to like you the way you would want her to--that's not as easy as you claim it is! She's her own person. She can like whoever she wants, and if that's going to make her happy, then I don't have any right to take that away from her."

"What makes you think you're never going to make her happy?"

Miroku opened his mouth and closed it again. "You don't understand," he said finally in a resigned voice. "It's just not that simple."

"Try me, Terada Miroku," said Kagome in a set tone.

He shook his head. "She's…too important for me," he said softly. "Too important, anyway, to risk losing her in nonsensical games of the heart. She deserves better than that."

"Nonsensical?" echoed Kagome. "Is that all you can say about your past relationships with those other girls?"

Miroku shrugged. "Look how each and every one of them turned out," he said. "In the end, how many girlfriends can you honestly say remained friends with me?"

"Well, that was because you were being so sukebe!" accused Kagome. "You just can't stick to one! Why can't you just stick to one?!"

"I don't know!" he said, effectively silencing Kagome.

He raked a hand through his hair as he sighed. "This was the reason why I thought things were better off between Sango and myself," He asked, a small sad smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "If we were to remain the way we were, we'd last forever. We'd always be friends."

"You've lost her," Kagome said flatly. "While you were thinking of the whole thing that way, you've already lost her."

Miroku looked at her blankly.

"Have you ever thought that perhaps…perhaps you guys weren't meant to be just friends?" Kagome asked. "That you were supposed to be something else?"

"Like what?"

"Like half and half--two parts of a whole?"

There was a pause before Kagome continued softly, "and if you were really care about her--if you're really concerned about treating her fairly, don't you think she deserves to hear the whole truth from you and let her decide from there?"

***********************************

            Of course, he did nothing about it. Absolutely nothing.

            At long last the countdown ended and Prom night swept in with all its expected pageantry and excitement. And all this time, Miroku never bothered to set right what had gone wrong between him and Sango.

            In fact, by nine in the evening, the prom was already in full swing and he had not even arrived.

            "I'm going to kill him," muttered Inu Yasha as he swept a listless Kagome off the dance floor. "The moment I see him, I'm going to kill him…"

            "Just drop it," said Kagome wearily as she followed him over to the refreshment table for drinks. "Maybe he's not coming. At any rate, Sango doesn't even seem to be aware that he's not here."

            "That's right," pointed out Inu Yasha as he sulkily watched Takeda Kuranosuke dance by with Sango--Sango transformed so that it was almost impossible for them to recognize her. "So why should you care so much?"

            Kagome stared at him for a moment before smiling down at the drink he gave her. "You're right," she said sadly. "Who am I kidding, right? Only, I thought that…well, not all dreams have to end the wrong way tonight. Inu Yasha…"

            "What?"

            "I'm sorry…"

            "What is this?!"

            "I'm sorry I'm spoiling your evening," said Kagome as she put down her glass. "C'mon, let's dance."

            Inu Yasha blinked.  "Right! That's more like it!" he said as he quickly took her hand and led her back to the dance floor. 

*******************************

            No, she was not thinking about it.

            Nope. Not at all.

            Why should she? The other girls might be talking about it in disappointed tones, but she, Hinomori Sango, could not be bothered to give it a thought.

            After all, who cared if he wasn't coming?

            She had merely come out for air was all. It had nothing to do with him, nothing to do with the fact that she was finding the packed school auditorium claustrophobic with speculations about why he wasn't showing up.

            She had merely wanted to come out for fresh air, never realizing that she would end up being the first (and one of the last) to see him that evening.

            At first, she had not seen him when she allowed the auditorium doors to close behind her. When she finally did, it was too late to do anything about it.

            He was sitting on the balcony, pensively looking out at the botanical gardens below. Dressed impeccably in a black suit, he seemed strangely suited to the quiet atmosphere of the moonlit, deserted balcony. Behind her, she could hear the music starting again, and she briefly considered running back into the safety of the crowd inside the packed auditorium.

            But before she could do anything--before she could even move--he had turned his head and seen her.

            For a brief minute, they stared at each other, and then she saw him break into a smile.

            "Sango."

            He stood up and slowly walked over to her. Sango steeled herself.

            "You look stunning in that dress," he said simply.

            Sango blinked, feeling a blush slowly coming on. She cast around for something to say, and finally settled for, "It's about time you showed up. What are you doing out here? Where's your date?"

            "I don't have one."

            She gawked at him. "What??"

            "It looks like the party is in full swing," he observed, staring into the glass door of the auditorium.

            "So what are you doing out here? You should be in there," she said, her tone taking on an argumentative ring. She tried for humor. "Your harem's waiting for you."

            She stopped suddenly, aware that it didn't sound right. Did her tone of voice have anything to do with it?

            He did not seem to have noticed. He continued to stand there, looking down at her with a strange expression on his face. Looking at him, Sango could swear his expression looked…almost tender.

            "And what are you doing out here when he's in there?" He asked softly.

            She looked away. "I merely came out here to get some air," she said. "C'mon. Let's not run in circles anymore. Why don't you go in?"

            "I merely came to talk to you," he said. 

            "Can't it wait till next time?" she asked wearily. "I don't want to fight anymore. And we've said enough the last time, so…"

            "Our conversation's not yet finished," he said.

            Sango stared at him, her eyes wide.

            He paused, and when he continued, his voice was even lower than before. "I cannot undo the damage of our last meeting. But that time, you asked me something, and I lied. I figured you deserve at least to know the truth, no matter how weird it sounded."

            Sango said nothing.

            "I've thought it over, and it seems unfair that I've been misleading you till the last minute. I couldn't bring myself to tell you, because I thought it might just freak you out…make you run away." He laughed ruefully. "But I can see that despite my not telling you, things have boiled down to just about the same thing. Besides, it doesn't matter now. You've got Takeda. You're free to believe what you want, but these are my feelings…and I would like you to listen to the end. Just this once."

            And so he told her.

            "Even as I've come to realize how things have changed between us, I never could treat you the way I've treated the others because, well…you're not like them at all. I cannot bear the thought of losing you the way I did the other girls. You're too special for any of that. I wanted to wake up everyday thinking I would be able to see you, talk to you, and not feel that you would disappear from me one day, and--"

            He stopped abruptly as he took in her shocked features. "I never wanted to hurt you," he said truthfully. "More than anything, I'm glad to see you're happy. I just want to let you know I won't get in the way."

            Just then, the muffled fragments of the next song number floated by.

            _Play us a song we can slow dance on_

_            We wanna hug each other…_

Firmly, he stoppered the emotions threatening to spill out from inside him, and said, "all these years I never got the chance to ask you, what say you to this one? Just one time…"

And before she could agree or refuse, he stepped up to her and, with his one hand landing lightly on her waist and the other taking her unresisting, gloved hand in his, they glided slowly on the moonlit balcony.

_Play us a groove so we'll hardly move_

            _Just let our hearts beat together…_

Sango moved automatically as they swayed slowly to the music. She could feel the warmth of his arms around her as he held her close. She couldn't bring herself to look up--she was sure he was looking down at her, his gaze not wavering.

_I'm glad to see you're happy…_

            Was she really? She wanted to ask him how he was able to arrive at that conclusion but for once, her voice failed her.

            He gave her a last turn and the music faded. Dimly, they could hear applause coming from inside.

            "I have to go now," he said, and slowly, almost hesitantly he bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

            "Be happy…" she heard him whisper as he pulled away.

            The door opened just then, and Takeda was just in time to see Terada Miroku drop his hand from Sango's arm unhurriedly. Without another word, Miroku turned away and headed down the steps.

            Sango watched him go, hearing the last echoes of his footfalls until they faded into nothing. Silently, she turned to Takeda and followed him back inside.

******************************

            Takeda Kuranosuke was patient, mature. This situation demanded everything he had to give, and he was determined to deliver as well as he could.

            He was not aware what had transpired since Sango had stepped out into the balcony. A girl had asked him to dance the number out, and it was only after the song ended that he ventured out to look for her.

            At best, Sango had been distracted and uneasy the whole evening. After Terada went away, Sango had lost whatever sparkle had remained with her. Takeda was fully aware of the possible cause, and after that scene from the balcony, he did not have to pause to put one and one together to arrive at a conclusion. 

            After dancing one more number, he told Sango, "Whew. Kind of hot in here. Would you like to take a walk for a while?"

            Sango nodded dully.

            The botanical gardens were just below the auditorium, and after a while, Sango sat down on one of the stone benches listlessly.

            The trickle of idle chatter stopped, and Takeda sat down beside her.

            "Not feeling very well?" he asked.

            Sango shook her head. "I'm fine," she said.

            Takeda smiled at the ambiguity of her answer, which was totally out of line with her actions.

            "Something on your mind?"  
            Sango looked away. "Hardly," she said.

            "Somebody I know?"

            She shook her head, allowing a bitter smile to cross her lips. "I don't think so…"

            "Somebody you know then," he pressed gently. "Somebody you really know."

            Sango looked at him, her expression unreadable. He did not see any surprise--just a blank, flat void. Takeda closed his eyes, not sure if what he was about to do was for the best.

After all, Terada Miroku was not exactly somebody he liked. And he wanted Sango for himself. He didn't have to do this! Right now, while she was feeling vulnerable, he had to protect Sango from herself…

            But one look at Sango was all it took for him to understand that she would never shine for him. She was already shining for somebody else.

            And best (or worst) of all, he knew she would have no problem handling the guy. The guy might be capable of hurting her, but she was fully capable of looking after herself . She was no damsel in distress. Never was. Never will be.

            He shrugged. "I've seen the way you guys look at each other," he merely said.

            "No," she said, shaking her head firmly. "No, it's not that. It can never be that. I mean, why would I want to stick it out with a guy like him? I mean, I know all about him: he's sukebe, completely insensitive, and--"

            "And despite everything you've said about him, he still remained a friend," finished Takeda. "That's it, isn't it, Sango?"

            Sango sat there, frozen.

            "I really can't say I'm not jealous," he said. "Hell, yeah…I am. But what the hell."

            "What are you trying to say?" Sango finally managed.

            "It's all up to you…"

            "But what about you? I'm here with you!"

            "I can't settle for being just.…" He shrugged. "You know."

            "Takeda-kun…"

            At the mention of his name, he smiled as he closed his eyes, feeling he had the last bit of evidence he needed. "Just go," he said softly.

            Sango stood up and paused. "Arigatou," she told him before she began to run.

            "And I hope you will be happy, Sango…"

            He meant it.

*******************************


	9. Dear Acquaintance

**Tomodachi **

Chapter 9

by 

Nana

**Dear Acquaintance**

********************************************

**Author's Notes: **Here's the last chapter! I couldn't resist borrowing the last lines of Mary Webb's "Precious Bane". The last lines of this fic are lifted from that source.  

            I've also added in a bit of Greek mythology. I thought the tale of Orpheus would be a bit apt to describe one of the passages below (without it resulting to the disastrous consequences that the poor fellow had to endure^^). So, heads up! Major mush coming your way. Please do read on and review! 

**Dedication: **This one goes to all the wonderful people at sangomiroku ML, who continue to inspire and enlighten through their enthusiastic discussions on all the possible angles that our favorite couple's relationship can take; and to all my reviewers, who never cease to move me in so many ways. Writing this fic would have been less fun without you guys. ^_______^

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Miroku and Sango. Sigh…

The lines of Sango's song (that also appeared in chapter 4) are from Avril Lavigne's "The Things I'll Never Say", courtesy of Neko-chan!^^

********************************************

            The silence of the moonlit night was broken only by the steady beat of a ball on the cement floor of the basketball court. A lone figure stood on the free throw line, continuing to dribble the ball absently. His impeccable white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar and rolled up at the sleeves, his evening coat delegated to a low branch on one of the trees nearby.

He had never played ball so late before, and he was glad to find that they kept the lights going until midnight.

            He had not paused to think what could have possessed him to come this late. He just had to. One last time--before things changed forever. 

Everything was going to change tomorrow. 

She was going to change. 

She was going to give up all her sharp-tongued sarcasm, discard all her scruffed jeans and shorts and start wearing dresses, apply make-up, keep her hair down, and hatch from her pupa to become a beautiful, generic butterfly. 

And she was going to have a boyfriend.

She had looked so beautiful tonight in her satin gown and with her hair done up in an elaborate design that he couldn't stand it-- he couldn't stand the thought that she would never be his, and at the same time, he couldn't stand the thought of seeing a highly original, individual personality he had come to love change into something else in front of his eyes. 

A belated realization, and yet he had only himself to blame. 

More than anyone else, he had had the largest hand in contributing to the said individual's change--to her actually wanting to change. He had effectively done so by ignoring her repeatedly for six years.

How many times had he made her an unwilling, silent witness to his heart's definition of femininity? How many times had he shown her what he had wanted, what he had always looked for, in girls? His tastes had run along the usual criteria, and they never had room for anything remotely resembling the spunky, highly intelligent demeanor that was uniquely Sango's.

She was tough--a girl of her own convictions. But how long was it going to take before she finally gave into the social pressure of their age? An over-aged tomboy certainly had no place in a world where girls moved in smooth, mindless circles.

It must have been lonely, he realized, for Sango to grow up and watch as friends gradually moved on one by one, shedding the skin that had identified them as of the same kind even as she stubbornly held onto hers. Of the many friends she had had before, he was the only one remaining whom she had bothered to keep in touch with. Even then, hadn't he mindlessly pushed her aside so that she could only hover off-center at the perimeter of his senses?

And now, it was too late. She, too, was moving on. While his heart was breaking belatedly at the thought, he could not do anything but stand aside and watch as the process continued. 

He had said everything there was to say, had done everything humanly possible. Any more would only hurt her, make her feel even more resentful of him than she already did. And more than anything, he did not want to hurt her. 

Kami…but why? Why did things have to happen this way? He had been just a touch too late, but it was enough to change everything.

_Friends change. They grow up. Sooner or later, they have to say goodbye._

Earlier on, he had said his farewell. He had to do it now, before it would be too painful for him to do anything about it. Right now, he could not tell for sure just how long he could stand the ebb and flow of grief as it coursed through him in waves, making his heart swell painfully at irregular intervals.

Of course, they would still be seeing each other in school, but things were going to be different. He was going to wake up tomorrow with the dull certainty that she was never going to show up for basketball practice ever again. They were never going to talk to each other the way they always did ever again. She was going to be somebody else's, and she would never know how much he was going to miss her.

Only, not yet.  

Don't let tomorrow come in too soon; don't let reality push in here right now. 

Just for tonight, let him just come here--their sanctuary--one last time, shoot some hoops, and imagine that he could still hope to wait for her. Hope to wait for her to sneak up on him and say--

"What the hell do you think you're doing, coming here at this hour?"

He froze. The ball slipped from his suddenly numb fingers, falling to the ground and rolling to a stop a few meters from him, unnoticed.

_That voice. _

It couldn't be real. Had his mind started to play tricks on him so soon?

If he turned now, he was afraid he was only going to find shadows--six years' worth of them--awaiting him from behind.

But he did. Slowly, his heart beating painfully against the confines of his chest, he turned.

Orpheus had made that mistake when he had gone to save his beloved Euridice from the underworld. He had battled all odds to do what no human being had ever done before--to bring the dead back to life--and triumph was almost within his grasp. And then he had turned his head back at the last possible minute, before Euridice could safely get out of the portal, thereby banishing her back to death. Right now, though, Miroku could understand why Orpheus had to turn his head back.

Some guys just had to. It wasn't everyday that a miracle would happen, that things could somehow be saved from the jaws of the inevitable. Or was Orpheus simply afraid that everything just couldn't be real?

But Sango looked real.

She stood there under the full moon, still clad in her satin finery and shivering slightly as she kept the ridiculously light wrap around her shoulders close. She looked as though she were ready to let loose a storm.

He could tell that she had been running. A lock of hair had loosened itself from the elegant arrangement at the back of her head, settling down to pool on one shoulder. For a few seconds, her quick, light breathing was the only sound in the silence.

From the depths of his numb brain, a question made its way to his lips.

"What are you doing here?" he asked faintly. "The dance--"

"Baka! I asked you first!" she snapped, and Miroku knew that this was no dream.

**************************************

            In the end, she could not really say she had done it in a dignified way. Everything was beyond dignity, at this point.

            Without even thinking about it, she had run most of the way to his house, not heeding the pain shooting up from her feet as her new shoes protested against such rough treatment. It was only when she had rung the doorbell that it struck her that she didn't know what she was going to say.

            Luckily, it was Mrs. Terada who had answered the door, and she had given her a weird story.

            "He took his ball with him to the park," Mrs. Terada said, her voice betraying her own astonished disbelief.

            Sango had not hesitated. As she turned to go, Mrs. Terada called after her, "tell him to come back here right now, Sango!"

            And now, as she stood there, facing him, she found that words were again rapidly deserting her. As always, she took refuge in defensive wordplay.

            "Baka! I asked you first!"

            He continued to stand a few feet away, his expression thunderstruck. It was as though time had abruptly stopped. Certainly, he felt as though his heart had ceased to beat.

Not for Sango, though. Time had winded down for her when he said his goodbye at the balcony. Now, time was beginning to pulse and flow again--their time. From this point on, nothing was going to matter except for the time and space that they were going to make for themselves. 

In the silence, she could hear her heart beating frantically, the rhythm strange and exciting as the blood sang in her ears. When she spoke next, her voice was soft, "Why did you leave?" 

He shrugged. "Do I have any reason to stay?" he said simply. "I know that I've made you unhappy.  I knowyou said--"

"Shut up!" she cried. "What would you know about anything?"

She looked away, aware of the salty taste of tears at the back of her throat.

"You said you wanted me to be happy," she said, her voice wavering as she fought for control. "How can you say such a thing and then leave? How can I possibly be happy then?"

Miroku's eyes widened slowly, disbelievingly, as the meaning of the words sank in. Could it be that she meant…?

"Sango…"

The tears came then, and there was no way she could fight against their onslaught. "I mean…how can I be happy without…without…?!"

Her voice broke on a sob, and she was not allowed to continue. In the space of a second, he crossed the invisible chasm that stood between them. He was standing there before her, taking her into his arms. 

"Sango…I'm so sorry," he whispered. "All these years, I never realized…all the wasted opportunities--all the things we could have--I was so stupid…!"

Sango gave a watery laugh. "Yeah, you were," she said against his chest.

And for the first time in a week, Miroku laughed--a boyish sound, full of joy. It rang in the quiet night air. He wanted to shout it out loud as his heart gave way to overwhelming relief.

There, just like that, she had reversed the inevitable as only she could.

Could there be anything sweeter than this? He wondered, dazed as relief continued to pound in his breast. He had let her go, and she had come back to him. She was finally, finally his!

Tenderly, he drew her even closer, feeling her heart beat against his own. He felt her arms go round him as she pressed her face to the damp fabric at his breast.

There had been a time when he had thought he wouldn't be able to stand this kind of intimacy with another. Invariably, when each of his girlfriends had come too close, he had felt trapped, strangled.

With Sango, it was different. Perhaps he had known all along that it would be different with her, because it was going to be all right.

"I was so afraid," she whispered. "I thought I had you figured out from the very start. All those girls…coming and going just like that, and I thought to myself how lucky I was I never had to go through that because we had a different thing going…"

"Only it never felt enough," he said softy, his warm breath tickling the few stray hairs near her ear. "It was never enough for me. All those times, with the others, I always felt something was missing. Maybe that was partly the reason why they never lasted. I was looking for somebody else, and for six long years, I never realized she was standing right here in front of me…"

He looked down at her, carefully running his thumb over her cheek to wipe away her tears. "When I finally did realize it, I just didn't know how I was going to break it to you without your laughing at me. I was afraid you might dismiss it as something really funny. Or worse, I just might freak you out and make you resent me for ruining a good friendship. I don't think I could have borne that, so I made up a lot of excuses around it."

He sighed. "And then Takeda had to come along as well…"

"I probably _would_ have laughed," she said seriously.  "I just thought that you were…well, that you were never really interested. I thought it would never work out. I mean, you're so--so…and I'm…so--"

"What?" he asked, laughing at her sudden loss of eloquence.

She hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Oh, you know," she said. "I mean, you always go for the pretty ones, so what would you ever see in a girl like me?"

"Many things," he said. "And I'd want you to stay the way that you are now. The way you always were…"

Sango shook her head, bemused. "Even if I try, I cannot be anything more than I am. And so I got mad that you had to resort to excuses just to ask me out. Takeda-kun was there, so…"

"He's probably a nice person…" murmured Miroku as he slid a possessive hand up her back, sending shivers up her spine.

"He is."

"It wouldn't have mattered. I would probably have wanted to kill him either way."

"What?" laughed Sango.

"I felt like dying when I realized you were serious about going out with him," he said.

"I have to admit, it was a nice change," she said with a sigh. "I felt like dying the day Minami announced you were going out with her. I felt like dying every time you had another new girl."

"Something died that day," he said, remembering. "Something changed. When you didn't sign up for the girls' basketball team during freshman year, I thought…it was like you ran away, and you continued to run no matter how hard I tried to chase you down."

"You never tried hard enough," she chided.

His laugh turned rueful. "Didn't I just disprove that this past week?" He asked. "I practically made a fool of myself in front of everyone, and you know what? I couldn't possibly care less."

"There were so many things I knew I shouldn't be telling you. Six years is a long time to keep some things to oneself," she said. "But in one week's time, you nearly got them out from me."

"What?"

"The things I'll never say…"

He lifted a brow, intrigued. "Which are…?" He prompted.

She shook her head. "No way," she said as she burrowed her head into his shoulder. He could feel her smiling into his shirt.

"C'mon, Sango. That's not fair…what are they?"

With a few self-conscious starts, she began to sing. 

A few stanzas of a song he had briefly heard before, the song taking on a slow and sweet tone on Sango's lips: "If I could say what I want to say…I'd say I wanna blow you...away. If I could say what I want to see…I want to see you go down on one knee--"

She broke off, laughing softly. "Nah. Forget it. It's too embarrassing!"  
            He continued to look at her seriously. "And if I could do what I had wanted to do for a long time, what would you say?" he asked.

"What is that?"

And this time, there were no more false starts, no possible regrets. With one fluid motion, he lowered his head and claimed her mouth with his own.

Sango sighed, feeling her lids flutter blissfully shut. He had done this just the other day, but this time it was quite different. It was better. 

She gave in to him as he sweetly, wordlessly comforted, coerced, demanded with his lips. In his arms, she felt as though she had come upon her rightful place at last. 

            "Seriously now," she said as the kiss ended. "What _are_ you doing here so late?"

            "I was trying to sort things out."

            "Oh?"

            "I was trying to get used to things changing, beginning tomorrow. I was trying to get over the fact that I wouldn't be seeing you anymore," he said.

            Had it really only been twenty minutes since he had felt the world was about to topple down on him? It seemed like an eternity had come and gone…

            "You're right. Things will change, starting tomorrow," she said as she smiled into his eyes.

            "Honto?"

            "There's really nothing we can do about it," she said. "The only difference is, your new girlfriend's going to be around for quite a while. By the way…"

"Hmm?" he murmured, breathing in the clean scent of her hair, the skin of her neck. 

"How can we ever repay Kagome? I really doubt that we'll be here now if she ever gave up on us."

Miroku paused. "You're right," he said after a minute. He shrugged. "How about if we give her Inu Yasha?"

"I doubt if she needs any help in that department," said Sango dryly. 

            Miroku laughed. "Good point. Maybe we'll just have to sit on that question some more then. Sango…"

"Hai?"

"Will I be hearing anything about the possibility of us wrecking our friendship just because we've become more than friends?" he asked quietly.  

Soft as it was, she could pick up a thin thread of fear in his question.

She laughed as she took his head into her hands. "Enough of that foolish talk. I've chosen my bit of paradise, and it's here with you, my dear acquaintance," she whispered.

With that, she lowered his head to hers again and kissed him full upon the mouth.

**_------End------_**__


End file.
